London has several underground rivers which feed the Thames which have been buried at various times over the last 2000 years - e.g. the river Fleet runs underneath Fleet Street.
My idea is that they should all be uncovered as I think they would all look rather good and make more parts of London accessible via water transport. Some major roads will be lost and a fair number of bridges will be needed, but nothing else major.
-- hippo, Dec 01 2002

Map http://www.systemed...rground_map1024.jpg
Map showing some of the underground rivers. [hippo, Oct 04 2004, last modified Sep 10 2009]

Another map... http://uk.multimap....0000&up.x=23&up.y=6
...showing [Gulherme] where London is in relation to the coast. [angel, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]

Ah, yes - London as Venice, much more romantic.
-- DrCurry, Dec 01 2002


//I live almost on the banks of one of these underground rivers.// - You live underground, then?
-- Parvenu, Dec 01 2002


Is this some sort of plan to raise the value of your house?
-- tyskland, Dec 01 2002


"Some major roads will be lost and a fair number of bridges will be needed, but nothing else major..."

Goodness.
-- bristolz, Dec 01 2002


[waugs] Fleet Street is not quite how you remember it.
-- po, Dec 02 2002


London is inland no? If this is the case (and I believe it is) I would like somthing to be done about it, you see I will probably be in London for a short time soon to do a bit of work before going and exploring the rest of Europe and I've lived on the coast my whole life and love it so if London could be moved to the coast just while I'm there it would be much appreciated, thanks.
-- Gulherme, Dec 02 2002


Treviso, Italy, has a number of spring-fed canals and streams flowing through it. Crossiant.
-- Dog Ed, Dec 02 2002


[gul] London is on the estuary of the Thames where it is still tidal - I imagine that counts as coastal? the seagulls think it is.
-- po, Dec 02 2002


Why not just reverse the timer on the Thames barrier, and watch the whole wretched place flood, like in "Split Second" ?? Lovely.

Of course, that will result in lots of unlovely lumps of human excrement bobbing around the place - but then , we elected them, so I suippose it's our fault.
-- 8th of 7, Dec 02 2002


[Rods] - latitude, longitude or height?

And, somehow, [hippo], I can't imagine you living anywhere other than near the banks of a river.
-- PeterSilly, Dec 02 2002


Can't imagine Ken Livingstone agreeing unless he can charge the resultant river traffic £5 per day.

Hippo, if you really like water that much, move to docklands like Rods and I.
-- Mayfly, Dec 02 2002


As an American who catches only the occasional "Changing Rooms" from time to time, it would almost seem that Londoners would rather live anywhere except their waterfronts. And on the few occasions when live-aboard barges or other waterfront residences are depicted, you might describe them as nicely habitable, but certainly not glamorous. Aside from the impeccable Rods and Mayfly (who are always a leapyear ahead of the rest of us), would a majority of Londoners want to live next to their Uncovered Rivers if they could afford to do so?
-- jurist, Dec 02 2002


And pedestrianize most of the City.
-- horripilation, Dec 02 2002


Ooo - I used to desire a young lady who lived not a million miles from you, [Rods].
-- PeterSilly, Dec 02 2002


PeterSilly, young lady's phone number please?
-- Mayfly, Dec 02 2002


[waugs] what I meant was, its not the heart of the newspaper business any more.
-- po, Dec 02 2002


[MayFly] - she won't be so young now, alas, and I left that phone number and address in a bin many, many years ago...
-- PeterSilly, Dec 02 2002


[Nick] I'm glad to hear it, those pies tasted awfuk.
-- po, Dec 02 2002


[Parvenu] OK, OK, on the banks of where one of these rivers would be if it were above ground...
[tyskland] Unnecessary, in London's current rather heated housing market
[PeterSilly] Actually I live about 10 minutes walk from the Thames - when I posted this idea I didn't anticipate all these hippo/river jokes...
[Mayfly] Hmm - I'm not that keen on Docklands. Not quite sure why though. Maybe 'cos the only bits I've visited are the Canary Wharf buildings and Billingsgate
[Nick@Nite] really?

And in case you're wondering, the answer is Stamford Brook, which runs under the back gardens of the houses on the other side of my road.
-- hippo, Dec 02 2002


don't a lot of those little rivers now run down the sewers?
-- po, Dec 02 2002


According to the Map, you can transfer to a mid-level sewer to the River Fleet at Black Friars, then ride to Newgate, and get the Via Decumana to Bank, ride the Northern Line to Kings Cross, then go back down the River Fleet to Mount Pleasant, and ride the Post Office Railway to Tottenham Court Road, up the Northern Line to Goodge Street for tea with the Americans. Now where is Mornington Crescent?
-- tyskland, Dec 02 2002


Just north of Euston.
-- PeterSilly, Dec 03 2002


They also bury things beneath steaming heaps of dirt. Not so useful in this case.
-- Ludwig, Dec 03 2002


London's underground rivers were buried by spoilsports and busybodies - let's upset them again!
-- farmbrough, May 10 2004


fascinating Time Team edition last night seemed to indicate that the Houses of Parliament used to be on an island in the Thames - I think it was caused by eddies from incoming water from the Effra and Tyburn tributaries.
-- po, May 10 2004


them eddies get everywhere.....
-- sourmash, May 11 2004


No, cover up the Thames.
-- simonj, Jun 20 2008


Nando's in Kentish Town is on the corner of Kentish Town Road and Angler's Lane. On the side is painted a quote from a man in 1908 (or was he born in 1908...? I forget) describing how when he was young people used to go fishing in the Fleet down Angler's Lane. It was apparently meadowy and quite a haven for wildlife too.

Now look at it.
-- wagster, Jun 20 2008



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