The Lost Rivers of London

by Nicholas Barton

The thought of a ‘lost’ river running beneath a road or house produces interest or consternation. A feature once on the land surface, a symbol of the rural age of London, is somehow more indicative of what is hidden beneath the bricks of the city than any other.

When The Lost Rivers of London first appeared in 1962 it was immediately welcomed by scholars and general readers alike. It remains the only comprehensive study of those water courses, now buried, which sometimes make themselves evident in heavy rains or at the dig of an unwary builder’s earth-remover.

Many have become part of London’s complex sewer system; others still run sweetly enough to have recreational use. In the past they have formed boundaries, dictated the course of roads and influenced the location of industry. In these ways and others they have contributed to the history of London.

Nicholas Barton’s book has long been out of print and much sought-after. It is reissued complete with all the illustrations and the invaluable fold-out map.

Genres: London, History, Nonfiction

168 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1962

Reviews

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did you know that a wide pipe crossing London's Sloane Square Station contains the River Westbourne? Or, that the New River that runs through Islington is not really a river, but a man-made water conduit? Or, that the Neckinger is the name of a small stream that ran through south London?

This and much, much more can be learned from Barton's fascinating book about the tributaries of the River Thames, many of which are hidden from view today.

I first encountered the book in my school library soon after it was first published in 1962, and was enthralled by its wealth of detail, superb maps, interesting illustrations, and scholarly text. It was only recently that I obtained a copy of its 1982 reprint, and I am still impressed by it.

This is a book which will be of interest to all who love London.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely book for anyone with an interest in places and landscape, and history too of course. (Geography, in other words!) This would of course also appeal particularly to anyone with knowledge of, or an interest in, the history of London. A thorough study of various rivers which have in many cases vanished from sight, such as the Fleet, the Tyburn and the Westbourne; where traces of them persist and can still be seen; where some of them although invisible still affect what happens on the surface. There are some very interesting sections towards the end of the book looking at the impact some of them have had, and perhaps continue to have, on health, including the persistent viruses which have occurred in London over centuries, and the possibility that many of London's ghost stories might actually be attributable to buried rivers too (such as the sounds of "swishing silk skirts" and other noises which could be water-related). Lots of references and a really informative pull-out map showing where the lost rivers are.

[^ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of the interest of any large city is to look at how and why it has grown; what obstacles (natural and man-made) to growth have succeeded, and which have been successfully overcome. London is of particular fascination because over the course of more than two thousand years of human occupation the buildings and function of this city have, shaped by the rivers flowing into the Thames, changed considerably.

Some months ago I watched an interesting programme on TV where a family had obtained planning permission to build a house at the end of a mews, but hard up against a railway line. To obtain the living area they desired, they had sought planning permission to excavate a deep cellar/basement. Unsurprisingly, during piling operations (difficult in such a tightly constricted area), they hit the water table of one of the now ‘hidden’ streams of the City. Very dramatic (and expensive)! Perhaps their architect had not read this book?

So this book should definitely appeal to anyone who lives, or who is house hunting, in London. It will also be of great interest to anyone who has ever worked in London or who is interested in the history of this city, and of Britain. As such it is an engrossingly good read; though, for me, tinged with sadness in the knowledge that humans acting in a free-market economy too often destroy the beauty and utility of (and at the extreme obliterate knowledge of) a waterway.

[Adam Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and unusual book on the various tributaries of the Thames which no longer exist as open water rivers. Most, if not all of the rivers discussed such as the Fleet, Tyburn, Westbourne and Walbrook became progressively polluted and were eventually culverted and incorporated into the London sewerage by the mid 19th Century. In parts the book, in contrast to the rivers it describes, is rather dry when describing the known or believed course of the now underground rivers but an interesting book nevertheless.

[Lynn Kopala · Rating 4 out of 5]

So good that we booked a walking tour with the author. He took us from the top of Hampstead Heath to the point where one of the lost rivers rose. It was frosty, so we saw a trickle of the infant Fleet under a think lace of ice and moss. Thank you, Nicholas Barton.

[Brook · Rating 2 out of 5]

Only the Britons can write a completely dry book about exactly what the title says and make it go over a hundred pages: the history of the rivers of the greater London area, from Roman times to today, going all the way down to creeks, streams, and even (this is the author's language) "ditches."

If there is anything you want to know about what rivers once ran or still run (largely encased in concrete) through London, this will be interesting. Living in Washington, D.C., which has a river running under a major thoroughfare encased in a very old container, and others that have disappeared or spend some time piped through the city, this was actually pretty interesting and relevant to me.

Some interesting things you will learn about if you pick this up:

1) Settlements follow rivers/streams/creeks. As a result, roads do, too, in old cities. Related:
2) London postal codes are sometimes delineated by rivers that no longer exist
3) "Mill" in London street names and neighborhoods correspond to now-gone mills
4) People can dump so many agriculture products like animal carcasses and plant matter to clog large waterways
5) streams and creeks run today through the basements of old buildings, right out in the open
6) The first large-scale London water supply project used hollowed logs as pipes, spraying water constantly over the entire city (via leaks) and creating sinkholes
7) Churches ran the mills (hence the prevalence of the name still in places) and acted like small businesses more than houses of worship
8) You can use tides to operate mills, taking water into holding ponds during high tide, and releasing it during low tide to work machinery
9) London was still ass-backwards well into the 20th century. I am glad I live where I do

Lots of interesting tidbits in here, and LOTS of photos and drawings. Without sounding like a kid, it was the visuals that made this such an interesting read. It would have been dry white toast without. However, as this is an exhuastive list of waterways, there are also pages and pages of descriptions of ditches that may or may not have existed 500 years ago. This is not an exaggeration.

[Trevor P. Kwain · Rating 4 out of 5]

A key source for anyone interested in London history or simply doing research. The book itself is simple and light (in line with History Publications who also published Wimbledon History books) and it provides a nice list of other resources and even maps to follow up on. The large map that comes with it is really useful, but the use of visuals inside the book is limited and could do with something like that when talking about "invisible" rivers. Nevertheless, a nice companion/addition to my current book research.

[Olly Colluphid · Rating 4 out of 5]

My edition 1982 Hardback Historical publications ltd.

Inspired to read this by the Rivers of London series!

Anyway an interesting short book. Especially good on modern impacts of the underground rivers at the end. Interesting discussion on the link between rail routes and the original river courses. I would have liked more on Bazalgette but I can see in a way he is orthogonal to the main topic (pun only slightly intended).

Probably a generous mark but brevity helps!

[Vik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seminal book on the lost rivers of London, nothing has bettered the research in this book. There are prettier ones now but they are all based on this one, also a great source list in the back for further research if so inclined.

[Susan Grimshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting to read where all the lost rivers are flowing now concealed in sewers etc. very much enjoyed all references to the Wandle which still flows above ground and still has the odd kingfisher fishing in it.

[Jonathan Farley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. a very useful resource.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book. Loved the map!

[Benita · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is rather small in format, which is a pity as it consists mainly of photos that I would have liked to take a closer look at.
The info added to the photos (and rivers) was always only a few sentences and I really would have wished for more info, older photos or drawings to have comparisons...but I guess that this was not the author's (who is also the photographer) intention.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book not only describes the courses of the main "lost" London rivers, but also discusses how these rivers have been used and how they have affected the development of London. It is a carefully-researched and well-written piece of work. It would be interesting to find out if any of the proposals to open up and restore some of these rivers bear fruit.

[Juliemburgess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the book and it brought London's lost rivers to light. The book raises interesting issues about the every day lives of people living by the rivers. Would have preferred more photos rather than drawings.

[Marc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perfectly good introduction to the topic, but rather brief in places and sometimes over-opinionated about the quality of previous studies. Maps are not great. Now in search of something far more in-depth.

[Ipswichblade · Rating 3 out of 5]

Does exactly what it says on the tin. A good book about hidden and lost rivers of London

[Duncan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved reading about the now long hidden history of London

[Bookshire Cat]

I have read only one small chapter relevant for my research.