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South London's failed canals

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Added by miamigo
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Why is there a canal bridge, but no canal, in a park in Peckham? Why is there a canal, but no canal boats, in a park in Anerley?

South London used to have two long canals, which met up close to the Surrey Docks. One, the Croydon canal, 15km long, lasted only a few years, but there are still remains if you know where to look. The other, the Grand Surrey Canal, lasted until the early 1970s, but not a drop of water remains, though there are bridges in Camberwell and Peckham.

In this talk on the failed canals of south London, Alan Burkitt-Gray will be discussing why they were built -- and what the bold ambitions were for them at the start, around 1801. The idea was that they should eventually connect to the English Channel, bypassing the Thames estuary and the Straits of Dover. But they ultimately failed, while north London's canals thrive.

And what’s left? He has walked the canals’ routes over the past few months, and he’ll be talking about what you can see now.
Category
ATLANTIC ROAD
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