London under London

by Richard Trench, Ellis Hillman

A revised edition of a guide covering the latest underground developments in London, such as the substation beneath Leicester Square, underground railways and glass fibre communication together with a gazetteer of places open to the public.

Genres: London, History, Nonfiction, Travel, Cities, Geography, Reference

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

Reviews

[Leslie Wilson]

This book, although dated, is a tour de force of research and excellent writing. The London Under London is a maze of competing fiefdoms - Post Office, Tube, sewers, cables, canals, abandoned diggings, etc. Written with enough joie de vivre to let you know the author has really enjoyed the effort of putting it together, wonderfully illustrated with drawing and photographs, and still retaining a sense of wonder at what lies Under London, it is a delightful and fascinating take on a long buried subject.

[Kate]

A slightly outdated, but still useful. It was fascinating that the idea of the Elizabeth line originated in the 80s. I also found charming the author’s repeated remarks that all of the unused tunnels could be converted into carrying cables for cable television.

[Kay]

Sometimes I think that urban planners must surely have one of the most fascinating careers; or if not urban planners, then surely chroniclers of urban development. London's physical history -- the actual construction of sewers, tunnels, bridges, embankments, subways, and utility tunnels -- makes fascinating reading. The story of the construction of the Embankment alone is a riveting account, especially for those who, like myself, have spent quite a bit of time strolling along it. And, of course, the story of London's sewers is in large part the history of a social crusade. Not to mention all the buried rivers -- such as the Fleet and Tyburn, the legacy of which is seen mostly now in the names of streets and districts. There's a great deal here about such pivotal figures as the Brunels and Sir Edward Watkin, too. In short, this account makes one thing clear -- there's almost as much behind the history under the city's street's as there is to the history above them.

[Chas Bayfield]

What a shame I didn't know this book has been updated - my copy is from 1984 when everyone is getting excited about the idea of cable TV! What a fascinating read. I loved the story of Brunel Sr's inspiration for a tunneling machine coming from watching a beetle in prison and I am now in awe of Bazalgette and his sewers. There is a whole other London underground and this book rips the lid of it. Fantastic!

[Ipswichblade]

Very interesting book about all the different types of underground tunnels etc in London

[Diana]

A really interesting book about London. It explains about the lost rivers of the city, how they dug the underground, the air raid shelters of the blitz and many more things

[Chelsea Monroe-Cassel]

A very interesting look at the subterranean world underneath modern London. I especially liked the bits about the underground rivers!