A Wander along the Fleet

[Wapping]

Inspired (and in truth organised) by The Other Paul G, we went on an afternoon Wander along the course of one of London’s’ ‘Lost rivers’.

Lost, in this sense, means it has vanished from view, built over and now running in tunnels beneath the streets. But, it’s still there, following the same course as it has done from pre-Roman times. We even, at one point, saw and heard it.

It’s an interesting journey and is a little view of the ‘village’ of London, which otherwise passes us by.

More later, as I am now in the Town of Ramsgate pub, for the turning on of the Christmas lights.

 

[Wapping]

Paul and I agreed to meet near Angel tube station, so off I went, passing by this wonderful old building close to the station. As its name suggests, it’s a former pub,that is now a ‘theatre pub’:

Home

 

[Wapping]

Paul had done the walk before, but many years ago. He had though (unlike me) remembered to print off the instructions:

https://www.discoveringbritain.org/content/discoveringbritain/walk%20booklets/London%20water%20walk%20-%20written%20guide%20FINAL.pdf

It is definitely worth printing these off and reading them as you go along, not least as it’s too easy to miss some of the sites and sights.

Like many good routes, it takes in several good pubs along its way, so with the sun shining on the pair of us, we set off.

 

[Jazbee]

I've watched a lot of John Rodgers walks tracing London's lost rivers on YouTube, including the Fleet. Interesting stuff

 

[Wapping]

The first thing you realise is that the Fleet river and its water, now lost beneath our feet, gave its name to lots of places, You can find them in Clerkenwell, Sadler’s Wells, Well House and, not least, the eponymous Fleet Street itself.

Our first pub was shut! But, undaunted, we continued to our first point on the route and our first link to the river underground. The gardens and the modern block of flats are on the Spa Green Estate, taking their name from the wells that dotted the area and the health giving waters that became a spa.



Opposite the modern 1950’s Wells House flats, there is something interesting. These are the modernistic ‘working class’ flats design by Berthold Lubetkin, who believed that social housing for the ‘working classes’ needn’t be dull concrete:

Berthold Lubetkin - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Research guide: Lubetkin and Tecton

Berthold Lubetkin (1901-1990) was one of the most important figures of the Modern Movement in Britain. Our ollections hold a significant number of drawings from his practice, Tecton, as well as Lubetkin's individual work. This guide aims to help you identify relevant material across the collections.

www.riba.org

A little bit of social history, unconnected with the Fleet, but (hopefully) interesting in itself.

 

[Wapping]

Past the flats, we are now in Clerkenwell and our first pub.

Outside the pub, there is a reminder that animals used to be driven here along the roads, into central London to be slaughtered and sold at Smithfield Market in the City of London. The reminder comes in the form of a stone animal drinking trough:



Like the beasts of the field, it was time for our first pint:

 

[Wapping]

Hydrated (after a fashion) we set off again.

Passing by the Ingersoll building:



We turned left, through an archway in a building, into Brewers Yard.

As the water from the Fleet and its wells was all but undrinkable unless boiled, it was natural that a number of breweries and gin makers would spring up. ‘London gin’, though the ruin of many (as shown in Hogarth’s pints) is of course still well known today.

This is the former Cannon brewery, where the door pillars evidence the two key ingredients of beer:



There is more to see there, so I’ll probably wander back at some point.

Brewery Square, Clerkenwell, London, EC1 – John Keller | My Kind of Town

PS My paternal grandfather went on to become the senior accountant for Ingersoll Rand, whose offices were (I think) not far away in Holborn.

 

[Posh Pete]

Past the flats, we are now in Clerkenwell and our first pub.

Outside the pub, there is a reminder that animals used to be driven here along the roads, into central London to be slaughtered and sold at Smithfield Market in the City of London. The reminder comes in the form of a stone animal drinking trough:

View attachment 461141

Like the beasts of the field, it was time for our first pint:

View attachment 461142

The sacrifices you make on our behalf! 'umbled we are! Absolutely 'umbled!

 

[Wapping]

The sacrifices you make on our behalf! 'umbled we are! Absolutely 'umbled!

Thank you.

People, somewhat unfairly, knock and deride London. But, beneath its teaming millions, it has a long and very varied history, parts of which form key cornerstones of what UK plc is today.

The oddity of yesterday afternoon’s walk of about two-and-a-half miles, was how few people there were about. London was very quiet.

 

[Wapping]

To be continued…..

 

[snelly]

To be continued…..

Good stuff wapping; i've had dealings with Ingersoll Rand in a past life; only in a minor way tho;; We have our own boys own explorer; born and bred de- dah Pat Dickinson; he's followed a few water courses into Sheffield ending up at the Megatron; his tube post are worth a look; like i say ; a ĺot of boys own.

 

[Wapping]

Leaving Brewers Yard, our next stop was to see the home of the former Order of St John, whose garden hides away behind another archway:



Somewhere else to visit more fully.

Knights Hospitaller - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The Museum of the Order of St John

A hidden jewel which tells the unique story of an ancient religious military Order. Their gatehouse and secret gardens are available for event hire.

museumstjohn.org.uk

The History Of The Order Of St John In Clerkenwell - Living London History

Walk down St John’s Lane in Clerkenwell and at the end of the street you will see a impressive gatehouse. Incongruous to its surroundings, it looks almost as if it has been transported out of a medieval world. This was once the Southern entranceway to the Clerkenwell Priory, the English...

livinglondonhistory.com

PS My paternal grandmother was a nurse in the Great War. There is a chance, I guess, that she was recruited this way.

 

[The Other PaulG]

A real highlight was the quality of the beer. We may have just been lucky, but every pub served cracking, crystal clear amber ale, whether local (Pride) or not (Taylor’s).

Not a hint of cloudy fizzy fruity craft beer on this wander, thank you very much!

 

[snelly]

Leaving Brewers Yard, our next stop was to see the home of the former Order of St John, whose garden hides away behind another archway:

View attachment 461210View attachment 461211View attachment 461212View attachment 461213View attachment 461214View attachment 461215

Somewhere else to visit more fully.

Knights Hospitaller - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The Museum of the Order of St John

A hidden jewel which tells the unique story of an ancient religious military Order. Their gatehouse and secret gardens are available for event hire.

museumstjohn.org.uk

The History Of The Order Of St John In Clerkenwell - Living London History

Walk down St John’s Lane in Clerkenwell and at the end of the street you will see a impressive gatehouse. Incongruous to its surroundings, it looks almost as if it has been transported out of a medieval world. This was once the Southern entranceway to the Clerkenwell Priory, the English...

livinglondonhistory.com

PS My paternal grandmother was a nurse in the Great War. There is a chance, I guess, that she was recruited this way.

Some great pictures Wapping but the thing that suprises me most is the lack of people not to mention the quality of the historical value and history of the buildings; i can only guess the lack of folk is down to the absences of fried chicken; barbers; bookies; and vape shops;; you do well getting away from urban bile;; there was a guy on the tube looking at the history of mews housing pretty much along the lines of your post; great stuff cheers;; the free viewing of the museum makes it worth the effort also; as a kid i spent hours in Western park museum which was across the rd from Sheffield childrens hospital where i spent a lot of my time. I've also noticed some washing on the line also making the best of a lovely day;

 

[Wapping]

Some great pictures Wapping but the thing that suprises me most is the lack of people not to mention the quality of the historical value and history of the buildings

Thank you.

London is indeed a huge city, with a huge population of roughly 8,800,000. Oddly, this is about what it was in the 1930’s, after which it fell to roughly 6,600,000 in the1980’s. That though does not tell the whole story, as the city divides into inner and outer London, where the split is roughly 3,400,000 in ‘Inner London’ and about 5,400,000 in ‘Outer London’.Yup, a lot of people but spread over a huge area, with not all the eight or so million appearing on the streets (or on a single street) simultaneously.

Visitors, Doc for example, often comment on how empty London can be. It’s very often true.

The architecture can be a real hotchpotch, from the very old to the very new, not least as London renews itself (especially in the centre) almost continuously. That said, a number of buildings are infills from bomb damage from the Blitz or to fill in gaps from some other reason. The other oddity, is that London has most often been reluctant to remodel its streets. It sort of says to itself: “There was a street or alley, there before. When and if we rebuild, the same shape of street or alley, will go back in”. Wide area redevelopment is quite rare. The exception is Docklands in the 1980’s and 90’s, but even then a lot of the old layout was maintained. The biggest shake-up was probably when the docks themselves were built originally. The City of London itself, might be another exception, as that is being remodelled, with huge buildings going upwards to the sky. But, that is only over quite a small area of the ‘Square Mile’.

I've also noticed some washing on the line also making the best of a lovely day…

True again.

On my Wanders I try to do several things. One is to look up at buildings. I do this as I was told by an architect that buildings change at a ground level, but less so higher up. The other is to, where I can look at the back or rear of buildings. And yup, a lot Londoners do very often hang their washing out on lines if they can.

 

[JonnyBravo]

Central London, and I’ve probably visited maybe 30 times in my life, together with threads like this, as a whole, always makes me feel melancholy.

 

[Wapping]

On we wander, crossing the Clerkenwell Road (it’s that ‘well’ link to the river, through the restored archway, more properly known as St John’s Gate, marking an entrance to the old priory:



Then down the little alley, St John’s Path:





As alluded to in the post above, there has probably been an alley here since Medieval times and, who knows, maybe a footpath across fields before that.

This brings us out to another excellent pub, the former Jerusalem Tavern, now renamed:



It is tiny inside, consisting of little more than snugs but preserving some very old features. These tiles, along with another two on the opposite wall, depict the four seasons:



Another excellent pint, but we swerved the offering at 8%.

Opposite the pub, there is another reminder of the past, its water and the making of London gin:



This is the former home Nicholson’s gin, the friezes telling the story as to how gin is made.

St John's Gate, Clerkenwell - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

St John's Gate, Clerkenwell - A Brief Introduction - A London Inheritance

St John's Gate in Clerkenwell is a survivor of the medieval Priory of the Order of St John of Jerusalem. A history of priors, knights and St John Ambulance

alondoninheritance.com

The Holy Tavern

55 BRITTON STREET, CLERKENWELL, LONDON, EC1M 5UQ A one minute walk away Farringdon Tube/Train station

theholytavern.com

PS A friend of ours, Gareth (also known ‘The Fool’, or more simply ‘Fool’) was married to the daughter of the owner of St Peter’s brewery, the former owners of the pub.

 

[wessie]

Central London, and I’ve probably visited maybe 30 times in my life, together with threads like this, as a whole, always makes me feel melancholy.

I'm the reverse. I looked into making a pilgrimage to the metropolis then developed a severe case of procrastination once I looked at train timetables, the cost and the odds that at least one of the connections would break down. I am content to visit London's sights vicariously.

 

[Wapping]

Central London, and I’ve probably visited maybe 30 times in my life, together with threads like this, as a whole, always makes me feel melancholy.

That’s an interesting comment. If it’s not too personal, can you explain the ‘melancholy’ bit.

 

[Wapping]

I am content to visit London's sights vicariously.

That’s too is interesting. I hope that my little Wanders fill a gap.

My regret is that, I took London for granted for too long. Yes, I knew bits about it, but was too busy (or lazy) to go to really look at it. I am now playing catch-up. The truth even so, is that I’ll never now see it all. But that doesn’t matter, as I’m happy enough just seeing new and ‘interesting’ bits that I do see, many just within a very few miles of where I live.