{Around the edge:}
The hidden River Fleet flows nearby.
Fleet Valley Pocket Park
Nearby flows a tributary from what was once pasture land in Queen Square. This feeder to the River Fleet also defined the parish boundary. Rising in Hampstead Heath, the Fleet passes underground on its way to the River Thames.
The plaque's prominent reference to Queen Square is confusing. The map at Dead End Street shows a Fleet tributary near Queen Square but it does not run anywhere near the site of this plaque. Perhaps this placement was a late choice due to problems with the location originally planned.
Site: Fleet River tributary - Mount Pleasant (1 memorial)
WC1, Mount Pleasant, Fleet Valley Pocket Park
We first heard of this plaque at Bex Chilvers: "An unusual project for Atelier Works. The opportunity to design something to be cast in iron doesn’t happen every day. This plaque with site-specific text distorted as if under water is one of a growing number, set in the ground and marking the route of London’s hidden River Fleet which is now entirely built over. This particular plaque has an unusual location, set in to a new skatepark ‘volcano’ flat top." And there's a photo showing it in place on the volcano.
The location was so unusual we thought we'd find it easily, but failed. When you can't find a memorial supposedly in a skate park in the neighbourhood, "Who you gonna call?" A skate boarder, that's who. We are grateful to Sam Hewitt (keen skateboarder) who found it for us.
The plaque is not positioned as shown at Bex Chilvers, apparently because skate-boarders were using the 'volcano' for skating on. (We thought that was the intention.) The plaque is laid into the flat paving between the two yellow seats in the background of our photo.
In the photo you can also see a tiled 'river' twisting across the site. It is inscribed:
"These are the currents that chiselled the city,
That washed the clothes and turned the mills,
Where children drank and salmon swam,
And wells were holy."
These lines are from a poem about the lost rivers of London, 'Rising Damp' by U. A. Fanthorpe.
We also noticed another series of plaques here. At least 12 small round bronze-like plaques have been attached to the pavement which surrounds the rain garden. Each is only about 6 inches across and each has a unique design carrying an environmental or equality message. Hunting for these would be fun for children - let us know if there are more than 12.
In this 1871 map it's this triangle which is labelled 'Mount Pleasant' whereas nowadays that name is used for a street and also the area around what used to be the Mount Pleasant Sorting Office. Also note on that map - the 'course of River Fleet' is marked.
Green Blue Urban describes the thinking behind the design of Fleet Valley Pocket Park. An information board on site explains that these planted areas operate as a sustainable drainage system (SuDS). With heavy rainfall this absorbs and holds water, releasing it slowly into the local system, thus reducing the risk of the sewers flooding. The SuDS also helps to clean the water that passes through. See Thames 21 for a fuller explanation.
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