River Effra - Banks of the Oval cricket ground were built with earth excavated during the enclosing of the river The Effra divided the manors of Kennington and Vauxhall. The river has a strange attraction : a few yards away from where the river rises on West Heath is the house that American singer, actor and activist Paul Robeson bought in 1929. Along Brixton Road, the course of the Effra is more certain, and wider. The site offered a view of the Crystal Palace towers and included one of the head waters of the Effra, running north-west. There is a healthy industry in London walking – M@ … Peer into the Thames here – and you can see a sewer outflow which may be the last remains of the Effra’Äôs mouth. Once a tributary of the River Thames, flows from the Effra were incorporated in the Victorian era into a combined sewer draining much of the historic area of Peckham and Brixton. Each walk will be joined by an expert guide who will talk about the rivers’ history and landscape, connecting participants with London’s heritage and ecology. For instance, there is a river running directly under Buckingham Palace—the Tyburn. The River Effra is a river in northern Surrey which is now mainly underground. One thing that walking the route does, however, is let the folds of the landscape speak for themselves: the best source is the river itself. The lower river was a sewer by the 17th century, labelled as such on the 1636 plan. Directionally the Effra travelled mainly NNW from Upper Norwood until north of Brixton where it then fed Lambeth Marsh and Walworth Marsh, joining Earl's Sluice and entering the Thames at Deptford Wharf. Join us for an exploratory walk along three of London’s hidden rivers – the Fleet, the Effra, and the Walbrook. The signs were good. This is the start of the Effra, from the bottom of the map to the top, it flows South to North where it meets the Thames. Nicholas D Richards writes to this website: London's Lost Rivers by Paul Talling. This time we fail to locating a statue of William Huskisson MP – the first person to be killed by a train. River Effra, view from Harold Road looking towards convent, Source: Lambeth Archives – River Effra history : Gipsy Hill was bounded by two of the branches of the River Effra, and eventually became an open sewer and was the cause of serious flooding as the area become increasingly populated – it was culverted in the late … Etymology; History; Before … With the adjacent Dulwich Wood, Sydenham Hill Wood is the largest extant tract of the ancient Great … Again the landscape in this area suggests at least a rough course for the river. The Effra is joined by another tributary near Brixton's Effra Road, whose source is in nearby Brockwell Park. Heading north up Elder Road, on the south side of the old relieving office (on the left hand side of the road) a stone tablet indicates the level that the flood reached in 1890. Bridges gave access to the houses on Brixton Road, with the river flowing on the east side. Once reputed for salmon fishing, Tyburn is now a sewer. Walking information, advice and campaigns, walking news and events, group led walks and an online library of walking routes. Walking the River Effra A guided route, based on a walk in 2002, following the route of London’s lost River Effra. This was acquired by Croydon Council in 1890 from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners for about ¬£6,500; two new roads, Eversley and Chevening, were constructed. At the top, turn left and join Effra Road going up into central Brixton – though an unexplained rise along the west side of Dulwich Road suggests that perhaps one ought rather to follow this and Brixton Water Lane, thence all the way up Effra Road. Storm Channel of The River Effra beside Vauxhall Bridge under the M16 building. Next time you’re walking along Gipsy Road or Rosendale Road, see if you can spot one of the cute iron plaques announcing, “The hidden River Effra is beneath your feet”. The area north of Hermitage Road is known as Norwood New Town – apparently a bridge made of four planks used to run across the Effra stream somewhere here. A bomb fell at the corner of Angell Road and Brixton Road during the Blitz, uncovering the Effra sewer. River Walbrook - Its name is thought to derive from the fact the river ran under the Roman London Wall. A woman at 32 Tulse Hill in 1891 described a stream that had flowed across the end of her garden, and said that the banks could still be seen in Leander Road. The River Effra emerges from below MI6. The precise channel of the river is under dispute over the upper part of its course, and it seems to have had two branches in the Norwood area, flowing under Half Moon Lane in Herne Hill towards Coldharbour Lane, Brixton then Brixton Road on to Kennington and then ending in the Thames, near Vauxhall Bridge. Imagine a time when the traffic-clogged Brixton Road was crossed by bridges over a 12-foot wide waterway. Today’s Effra Road follows the boundary of the old Effra Farm and not the actual course of the river (which ran through the farm). (9) The site, form and fabric of Dulwich Village itself also owes much to the river: the original hamlet was on the low terrace just to the east of the Effra flood plain, the wealthier houses and the Old College were built overlooking the river, and storm ditches alongside College Road became today's wide grass verges. The source of the 8 1/2 mile River Crane is a 16-mile stream from Pinner in Middlesex called Yeading Brook and becomes the Crane near the Grand Union Canal in Hayes in the London Borough of Hillingdon. Imagine a time when the traffic-clogged Brixton Road was crossed by bridges over a 12-foot wide waterway. In 1504 another Abbot of Westminster paid rent for a wharf at Cox’Äôs Bridge – in the 17th century maintenance of the bridge caused a dispute. Photo credit: diamond geezer/Flickr. We supposedly heard it rushing beneath our feet as we stood on a manhole cover in Norwood – but after a couple of hours … 'ffrydlif' in current Welsh) given by the pre-Roman tribes.or the name of a farm in Brixton. It’Äôs hard to imagine now, but a 1784 painting shows St Martin’Äôs Farm with the river passing by ’Äì the site is where Loughborough Road now branches off. It was particularly pleasing to see my local river, the Effra, getting some good space. This went back to the 1990s art/political prank group Effra Redevelopment Agency, and continues today in the form of the decorative manhole covers that mark the course of the river. The River Effra is one of those evocative lost rivers of London that successive centuries of urban development have covered over so that they now pass unseen under our feet. Opinions and tributaries rejoin to the north of Brockwell Park: the name of Effra Parade gives a helpful clue ’Äì though for the walk it is probably more helpful to take the next road on the right, Barnwell Road, then head northward again up Rattray Road. There was also a millpond in this area. All images are copyright. Along Brixton Road, the course of the Effra is more certain, and wider. Another actor, Edward Alleyn, founded nearby Dulwich College. Croxted Road … Next we hit Pimlico. River Westbourne - Remains of the river flow through a pipe running above Sloane Square Tube station. Evidence from flooding cellars suggests that the course of the river may actually have been west of Rosendale Road rather than Croxted Road. Again the precise channel of the river is under dispute, or at least there may have been tributaries meeting here, coming from Knights Hill in the south and along Half Moon Lane to the east, marking the edge of Joseph Bazalgette’s sewer network in south London. The important thing to remember is that, although “lost”, the River Effra isn’t a fairytale or figment of the imagination. Sungai Effra mempunyai hulu di Upper Norwood Recreation Ground dan berakhir di Sungai Thames.. Pranala luar. Finally, the ‘Low Effra’ was billed as: A walk following the course of the ‘new cut’ of the river dug in the middle ages from Kennington to the Thames. The 19th century painter and critic John Ruskin, who grew up in Herne Hill, said that his first sketch showing any artistic merit was at the foot of Herne Hill, showing a bridge over the Effra. As well as Queen Elizabeth, Canute is said to have sailed up the river as far as Brixton – and King James I gave permission for the river to be opened up for navigation in this area. Some say it was a tributary of the main river. Peckham Rye means “village by the River Peck”. ... who organises walking tours along some of the lost rivers' paths. For future references, the statue stands at the Thames end of Pimlico … This area was built over between 1837 and 1857. Andrew Stuck accompanies him along part of the route of the River Effra… As with Belair, there is an ornamental pond (late Victorian) in Brockwell Park said to connect to the Effra, perhaps as yet another tributary. A guided route, based on a walk in 2002, following the route of London’s lost River Effra. Could this be the lost call of the Effra? The upper part of the Effra’s course was often nothing more than a stream unless there was heavy rainfall but along Brixton Road to the Thames the course of the Effra was wider - Its average size there was said to have been 12 feet wide and 6 feet deep. The River Effra is a former stream or small river in south London, England, now culverted for most of its course. Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps. River Effra: South London’s Secret Spine is the first comprehensive account, beginning with its underlying geology and pre-history and continuing through to the river’s ongoing significance today. For instance, there is a river running directly under Buckingham Palace—the Tyburn. London's Lost Rivers - Book and Walking Tours by Paul Talling, Woolwich - Dockyard & Royal Arsenal Canal Walk, Isle of Dogs Canal and Millwall Docks Walk. Walking further up Elder Road into Norwood High Street, East Place, on the right just before the railway line, is another flood site: on 14 June 1914 the former river overflowed from the brick sewer imprisoning it and the ground floors of many West Norwood houses flooded ’Äì it is even claimed that some people’s Sunday joints were washed out of their ovens. A plaque in Gipsy Road, West Norwood, reads: “The Hidden River Effra is Beneath Your Feet”. A cast-iron chimney opposite Dulwich Picture Gallery is believed to vent the tributary here. Meanwhile, to the west, in the 20th century the bed of a tributary could still be seen at the back of the tennis courts at the bottom of Cheviot Road, which is likely to have belonged to a tributary of the main river. The Blogalyser – what your writing reveals about you, Belair Park | London Life with Bradshaw's Hand Book, Barton, Nicholas – The Lost Rivers of London (1962,1992), Foord, Alfred Stanley – Springs, Streams and Spas of London (1910), Trench, Richard & Hillman, Ellis – London under London (1984,1993), Wilson, J B – The Story of Norwood (1973,1990). From Norwood the river is generally agreed to have followed Croxted Road up to Brockwell Park: turn right into Robson Road past the cemetery, up Rosendale Road, into Carson Road on the right and then across to Croxted Road to get a rough idea of where the river ran. The machinations of medieval landowners seeking to divert its course are uncovered along with some of the more absurd legends … Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe: RSS Tom Bolton is seeking out on foot the routes of eight hidden rivers in London, compiling a treasure trove of little known facts, which he is bringing together in a book, part guide part journal that will be published in May 2011. Heading west, the river is believed to have had two entries into the Thames (shown on a 1795 map): one just south of Vauxhall Bridge, the other nearer to Nine Elms Lane. River Effra - Banks of the Oval cricket ground were built with earth excavated during the enclosing of the river. Lawn Lane is still there: follow the back streets south-west of the Oval, across to Parry Street, and brave the traffic across to Vauxhall Cross. This blog describes a walking route along the Effra. Before heading north, though, a detour: cross Croxted Road at the crossroads going past West Dulwich station, and turn north up Gallery Road. Brixton Road originally crossed the river at Hazard’Äôs Bridge, marked on a plan of Vauxhall manor from 1636. Walk up Hermitage Road and on the left past Ryefield Road is a small cul-de-sac: walk down here and at the end is a drain in the road with water rushing loudly underneath. At the top of Brixton Road, turn left and head across to the Oval, following its left-hand side. Here you can either retrace your steps to Croxted Road ’Äì if you believe Belair’s pond to be a tributary – or continue north and cut back across to Herne Hill via Burbage Road, named after Shakespeare’Äôs actor contemporary. Walk up Hermitage Road and turn left: the dip of the river valley is very distinctive where Elder Road meets Central Hill. Its average size was said to have been 12 feet wide and 6 feet deep. The river ran through the grounds of what is now the Virgo Fidelis convent school – not open to the public, of course. The raised banks of Oval cricket ground were built with earth excavated during the enclosing of the Effra, which nevertheless showed itself again and was apparently responsible for ‘a small inundation’ at the Oval in the 1950s. Walking the River Effra The River Effra is a converted river or former large stream in south London, England, mainly underground — due to its history and the pressing need in the late Victorian era for a surface water drainage system its contours have been used for a combined sewer similar to the Walbrook, draining for example much of the historic broadly … The walk begins at one of the likely sources of the river: somewhere in Upper Norwood Recreation Ground. There was another bridge over the creek on Clapham Road (Merton Bridge – the responsibility of Merton Abbey). The next walk (the ‘Middle Effra’) was described as: A walk along the Effra valley as it passes between Knights Hill and Herne Hill. On the left is Belair Park, which contains an ornamental pond which some say is part of the Effra visible still. The river bends right here and heads through West Norwood Cemetery somewhere. Sungai Effra adalah sebuah sungai bawah tanah yang berlokasi di London Selatan, London, Inggris.Sungai ini digunakan untuk mengalirkan saluran pembuangan di London. In 1340 the Abbot of Westminster had to repair Cox’Äôs Bridge (Cokesbrugge) over the Effra near present day Vauxhall Cross (Kennington Lane/Wandsworth Road/South Lambeth Road). The River Effra is one of those evocative lost rivers of London that successive centuries of urban development have covered over so that they now pass unseen under our feet. . Wandsworth has its very own river, the Wandle. In 1935 the sewer was enlarged to help avoid the repeated floodings, and deep shafts were sunk in Norwood High Street, Chestnut Road and Rosendale Road. The River Effra is a former stream or small river in south London, England, now culverted for most of its course.Once a tributary of the River Thames, flows from the Effra were incorporated in the Victorian era into a combined sewer draining much of the historic area of Peckham and Brixton.. Kilburn is named after the upper reaches of the Westbourne, also responsible for Bayswater, and once crossed by the Knight’s Bridge. The name Effra was already familiar to me through my walks in Brixton where there is an Effra Road, Close, Court and Parade, as well as other landmarks which include Effra in their title. Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe: RSS Tom Bolton is seeking out on foot the routes of eight hidden rivers in London, compiling a treasure trove of little known facts, which he is bringing together in a book, part guide part journal that will be published in May 2011. Even today, a stretch is perhaps visible ’Äì as the following walk reveals. At the end of Windsor Grove, there used to be two large ponds known as ‘The Reservoir’. But the river makes itself known just the other side. Bridges gave access to the houses on Brixton Road, with the river flowing on the east side. There used to be iron gratings in the fields where small boys would drop paper boats. Once reputed for salmon fishing, Tyburn is now a sewer. Another tributary is said to supply Dulwich Park Lake, flowing dwon from the woods of Sydenham Hill, alongside Cox’s Walk and under Dulwich Common. A plaque in Gipsy Road, West Norwood, reads: “The Hidden River Effra is Beneath Your Feet”. Today’s Effra Road follows the boundary of the old Effra Farm and not the actual course of the river (which ran through the farm). A gardener ‘recently deceased’ in 1895 recalled the Effra at Lawn Lane ’Äòwide and deep enough to bear large barges’Äô. ... An entertaining, revealing and beautifully illustrated walking guide to London's horrific history, Bloody London features walks that take in everything from Jack the Ripper's haunts, to the 'Route of the Damned' from Newgate Prison to Tyburn, to Gangland London, to the plague … On the right is Norwood Park: once upon a time there were thatched cottages here, whose inhabitants had to cross the stream by little wooden bridges to get to the road. Rising near Crystal Palace, its course flows through Norwood, Dulwich, Herne Hill, Brixton and Kennington, before finally emptying into the Thames beside Vauxhall Bridge ... Good luck walking down that lot! The River Effra: underneath the dead centre of West … When the London sewerage system was constructed during the mid-19th century, its designer Sir Joseph Bazalgette incorporated flows from the River Effra … Walking around the River Westbourne brings plenty of interesting sites for music lovers. Notes River Effra The River Effra is a converted river or former large stream in south London, now mainly underground. I quickly realise that I clearly cannot walk, navigate, read and take in the scenery all at one go. There are two possible explanations for the name Effra. On its opening night, at least, the Effra Social was a treat. Walk along Chevening Road westward to Hermitage Road. The Effra was already being used as a sewer by the 17th century, although the upper reaches were still clear in the second half of the 19th. Walking the River Effra A guided route, based on a walk in 2002, following the route of London’s lost River Effra. Streets retain the river names: Effra Road and Westbourne Green, or just simply … The Fort at Vauxhall erected to defend London during the Civil War was alongside the Effra – as shown in a drawing (though this is perhaps a forgery of the mid-19th century). Sydenham Hill Wood is a ten-hectare wood on the northern slopes of the Norwood Ridge in the London Borough of Southwark.It is designated as a Local Nature Reserve and Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation. The Effra River from Brixton is diverted into an Interceptor at Stockwell, the River's course still remains, but has been made into a storm relief (The Brixton Storm Relief) that has an outfall at the River Thames. The River Effra is one of London's great lost waterways. Apart from the tealights in beer mugs, you could have been walking into the establishment as it was in the 1980s and earlier – and the vibe isn’t contrived as nearly everything appears to be original: there’s the classic, enclosed formica bar, the ‘Effra … The Ramblers - Britain’s walking charity working to protect and expand the places people love to walk and promote walking for health and pleasure. Contents. This is an attempt to follow the route of the Effa river as close as possible ’Äì the river itself was once comparable to the Fleet north of the Thames, although sources differ over the upper part of its course, and it seems to have had various branches in the Norwood area. The River Effra was one of these vanishings. London's Lost Rivers by Paul Talling (Penguin Random House Books) is available from all bookshops or to order online via Foyles, Waterstones, and WH Smith or from Amazon link below: Here is a summary of the 22 lost rivers/streams/ditches, 8 canals and 8 docks/wharves that the 192 page book covers According to legend Queen Elizabeth I came up the river in her barge to where Hermitage Road now stands – though it is extremely unlikely that the river was actually broad enough here, so near to the source. The name is derived from the Celtic word for torrent (cf. The Crane has also previously been named 'The Fishbourne', 'The Old River', 'The Powder Mill River' Its average size was said to have been 12 feet wide and 6 feet deep. The Effra is joined by another tributary near Brixton's Effra Road, whose source is in nearby Brockwell Park. A local resident reports that in wet weather this rises above the drains and flows along the road around Dulwich Park by Frank Dixon Way. On our Talking Walking jaunt, we went in search of the River Effra, which along its whole course leaves tantalising traces in street names – Brixton Water Lane, Effra Road – but never appears. South London Waterworks (founded 1805) used water from Vauxhall Creek, the name of the river (or a tributary) along this stretch, though it soon accumulated rubbish; the Oval gasholder is on the site of one of the reservoirs. Animals were also trapped in the floods in East Place in the 1920s. St Marks’s Kennington paid ¬£322 towards the costs. This is Kennington, once an area of marshland. Andrew Stuck accompanies him along part of the route of the River Effra… The brick wall of the convent was swept away on 17 July 1890 when the river and West Norwood flooded – damage is still visible in the convent wall. 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