London’s Lost Rivers

‘Paul Talling is a connoisseur of these lost waterways’ – BBC The One Show

This website has been created to promote the book of London’s Lost Rivers by Paul Talling (the follow up  to his Derelict London book). Over the years this website is expanding to cover many other London water related topics.

Recently added to this website are chapters on London’s Lost Canals and London’s Lesser Known Rivers such as the Hogsmill, the Cray, the New River,the Darent & the Ravensbourne. Many more to follow  including the Mutton Brook, the Beck and the River Crane to name but a few. I have a  programme of  guided walking tours of some of London’s Lost Rivers and doing  the same again in 2018  when you can join me (see the Guided Walks page for more info). Note that tickets for all walks in 2013 to 2017 sold out far in advance so it is essential to book as soon as dates are released.

London’s Lost Rivers is the latest book by Paul Talling
 Available in all bookshops or  to  order online via Foyles, Waterstones, Amazon and WH Smith
Here is a summary of the 22 rivers/streams/ditches, 8 canals and 8 docks/wharves that the 192 page book covers

Major Rivers
River Westbourne – (Hampstead to Chelsea Bridge via Kilburn, Bayswater,Hyde Park, Knightsbridge & Sloane Square)
River Tyburn –   (Hampstead to Pimlico & Westminster via Regents Park, Marylebone, Mayfair & Buckingham Palace)
River Fleet – (Hampstead & Highgate Ponds to Blackfriars Bridge via Camden Town, Kings Cross, Clerkenwell & Smithfield)
River Walbrook – (Shoreditch to Cannon Street via the Bank of England)
River Effra – (Upper Norwood to Vauxhall Bridge  via West Norwood Cemetery, Tulse Hill, Herne Hill, Brixton & Kennington Oval)

Waterways of West London
Bollo Brook – (Ealing Common to Chiswick via Gunnersbury & Turnham Green)
Stamford Brook – (Acton to Furnival Gardens,Hammersmith)
Parr’s Ditch – (Brook Green to Riverside Studios, Hammersmith via Talgarth Rd)
Counter’s Creek – (Kensal Green Cemetery to Chelsea Creek via Shepherds Bush, Earl’s Court & Stamford Bridge)

Waterways of  Central London 
Grosvenor Canal – (Victoria to Chelsea Bridge via Pimlico)
The Cumberland Arm –  (Camden via Regents Park Barrracks) 
Tyburn Brook – (Marble Arch to the Serpentine, Hyde Park)
The Cock and Pye Ditch (Seven Dials to Victoria Embankment via St Martins Lane)

Waterways of  South London
Falcon Brook – (Streatham to Battersea via Tooting Bec Common & Wandsworth)
River Neckinger – (Elephant & Castle to Bermondsey)
The Rotherhithe Mill Streams – (in and around Southwark Park Road)
Earl’s Sluice – (Denmark Hill to Deptford via the Old Kent Road)
River Peck – (Honor Oak to Bermondsey via Peckham)
The Grand Surrey Canal – (Camberwell to Rotherhithe via the Old Kent Road & Surrey Quays)
Croydon Canal – (West Croydon to New Cross via Forest Hill & Brockley)

Waterways of  East London
The Black Ditch – (Shoreditch to Limehouse via Whitechapel & Stepney)
City Canal – (Isle of Dogs)
The Royal Arsenal Canal – (Woolwich)
Romford Canal – (Romford to Dagenham)

Tributaries of the River Lea
The Royal Gunpowder Mills Canals – (Waltham Abbey)
Muswell Stream – (Muswell Hill to Palmers Green via Bounds Green)
River Moselle – (Highgate to Tottenham via Wood Green & White Hart Lane)
Carbuncle Ditch – (Tottenham)
Hackney Brook – (Holloway to Old Ford via Stoke Newington & Hackney) 
Pudding Mill River – (Stratford) 

Docks and Wharves
The London Docks – (Wapping)
The Surrey Commercial Docks – (Rotherhithe)
Millwall Dock – (Isle of Dogs)
Deptford Dockyard
The West India Docks –  (Isle of Dogs)
The East India Docks – (Blackwall)
The Royal Docks – (Canning Town, Silvertown & North Woolwich)
Woolwich Dockyard

Following the success of my  walking tours to promote London’s Lost Rivers  I  will organise  some more guided walking tours of these lost rivers, canals and docks in 2017 – see Guided Walks page for what is planned so far and join the mailing list at [email protected]

Here via  You Tube is a short item about Paul Talling’s  Lost Rivers on BBC1