Place    To 1765

River Fleet

Categories: Gardens / Agriculture

Dead End Street has a useful map showing the route of the old Fleet River and its tributaries, long ago buried in storm drains / large sewer pipes. The river used to flood, even into the 1930s.

It is said that you can still hear it gurgling past through a grating in Farringdon Road near the Guardian's old offices. And Diamond Geezer has tracked the entire course. In periods of heavy rain the river gives out into the Thames at Blackfriars Bridge. This image shows that site, from the Thames, c.1750.

2016: You want to see the River Fleet? Londonist have the post for you.

2019: The Islington Tribune reported that the River Fleet flows beneath the basement of an extension at the Sekforde pub and it is now being used to generate heating and also to cool the beer. Would we all had a river in the basement!

2025: There is a series of Camden plaques for the river, of which we have found 3 so far.  Are there more?  This series was inspired by the Effra plaques which were also designed by Atelier Works.

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
River Fleet

Commemorated ati

Fleet River floods - Goldington Crescent

{Around the outer ring:} The hidden River Fleet flows nearby. Goldington Cre...

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Fleet River floods - Purchese Street

{Around the edge:} The hidden River Fleet flows nearby. {In the centre:} Eas...

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Fleet River tributary - Mount Pleasant

The plaque's prominent reference to Queen Square is confusing. The map at Dea...

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Somers Town Mural

This mural was commissioned by the GLC in 1980 and moved to this site by St P...

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Tipperary pub

Maps showing the route of the River Fleet do not show it passing through this...

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Other Subjects

St John's Clerkenwell graveyard & garden

St John's Clerkenwell graveyard & garden

In 1714 John Michele gave the ground to St John’s Church in St John’s Square for use as a graveyard. About 100 years later Rev. William Dawson arranged that the church donate the graveyard as a pub...

Place, Gardens / Agriculture, Religion

2 memorials
Sir Joseph Paxton

Sir Joseph Paxton

Architect responsible for the Great Exhibition, 1851. Born Milton Bryan, Bedfordshire. The Crystal Palace Company gave him, free of rent, Rockhills, a Regency house to the north of the Crystal Pala...

Person, Architecture, Gardens / Agriculture

4 memorials
Vicar's Oak

Vicar's Oak

The tree is mentioned as early as 1583. According to Alan Warwick in his book ‘The Phoenix Suburb’, it stood at the high point in Norwood where four parishes (Battersea, Camberwell, Croydon and Lam...

Place, Gardens / Agriculture

1 memorial
Canal & River Trust

Canal & River Trust

From their website: "We're the charity who look after and bring to life 2,000 miles of waterways, because we believe that life is better by water." Canal & River Trust took over the guardiansh...

Group, Gardens / Agriculture, Transport

1 memorial

Previously viewed

SHAEF, Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Expeditionary Forces, WW2

SHAEF, Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Expeditionary Forces, WW2

Much of the planning for D-Day was carried out at Norfolk House. Eisenhower arrived there in January 1944 to take on the role of Supreme Allied Commander.  c.April 1944 SHAEF moved out to Camp Grif...

Group, Armed Forces

5 memorials
Air Training Corps - 296th (Stoke Newington) Squadron

Air Training Corps - 296th (Stoke Newington) Squadron

Based at 82 Albion Road, just to the north of the plaque. In 2018 the corps was threatened with closure but  Google Street view dated April 2019 shows the building still being used by the corps.

Group

1 memorial
Brixton nail bomb

Brixton nail bomb

The bomb which injured 48 people, was planted by neo-Nazi bomber David Copeland. Copeland, who was also responsible for the nail bomb attacks in Brick Lane (24 April) and at the Admiral Duncan pub...

Event, Race Issues, Terrorism, Tragedy

2 memorials
Francis Towneley

Francis Towneley

Born into a Catholic Lancashire family, supporters of the Jacobites. Served in the French army for over 10 years and returned to support Prince Charles in the 1745 rebellion. Colonel of the Manches...

Person, Armed Forces, Tragedy

2 memorials