There are clues to their existence in street names, in the winding of lanes and in the rushing sound of water deep in the capital’s drains. For centuries London has been sculpted by its rivers. Today, though, while vestiges of some remain visible, most lie buried beneath pavements and submerged in the sewage system. Now the Ramblers walking charity is calling for a network of new green walking routes tracing the paths of some of London’s “forgotten” waterways. It wants the mayor to back plans for signage and maps to guide walkers around these historic subterranean routes. “We have the London Loop, the Capital Ring and the Thames path. But we don’t have many radial routes that come back in or back out of London. The hidden rivers are really good radial walks,” said Des Garrahan, of Inner London Ramblers, who leads guided walks on London’s buried rivers. The ridge of Hampstead Heath contains the headwaters of four London rivers – the Brent, the Westbourne, the Tyburn and the Fleet. Paul Talling covers 22 rivers in his book and on his website, London’s Lost Rivers . “But there are lots of little tributaries that feed them. So we’re talking […]
Network of green walks proposed along routes of London’s forgotten rivers
