Watching from USA. State of East Tennessee. Enjoy your walks you have enlightened me to a true feel of England. Thank you Sir for your passionate teachings. Love your UA-cam channel. 🌿🌾🌲🍁
Half Moon Lane has always had terrible trouble with flooding. When I lived in the area Railton Road was open to travel as part of the one-way system and you could catch a bus from outside Herne Hill station. I used to live on Effra Road and was in Brockwell Park recently, there is a lovely secret walled garden there. I was just typing about the helicopter when you mentioned it, I was work in news at the time and was sent down to film on a rather misty morning. Another great walk.
I used to live in Brixton, Crystal Palace and West Norwood and the route of the Effra was a natural commute route into central London for me. I always wonder what those tall posts were for. While I lived in West Norwood there were issues with subsidence in the valley which people said was due to the Effra and the river "burst its banks" on one occasion causing flooding where you said, at the bottom of Auckland Hill. In the mid 2000s there was also such serious flooding along Dulwich Road and Burbage Road as surface rain water poured out of Brockwell Park looking for the river and the Effra overflowed out of Belair Park that pavements, traffic islands, even a bridge underpass disappeared under water. I think the building at 10:00 was the Wood Vale Children's Home, at least during the 1960s when my mum trained there. I believe the reason South London is appealing to some is that nature is closer to the surface. Geographic and ecological markers are more identifiable. Living in the Norwood valley could almost be tranquil at times.
Fantastic as always . John ,thankyou . I used to be a landscape gardener in south London,based on Spa Hill, Upper Norwood . I had a job once of recreating a garden in Burbage rd and there was an old pond ,concrete , that was to be replaced by a better and more water retaining butyl lined pool . When we drained the old pond , and as usual at the bottom was much black oozy sludge .... the amazing suprise to me and my mate was an eel we found amongst that slimey ooze ! ! We managed to capture it unharmed ,it was about 3ft long ,and kept it and enough water , oozy sediment and water plants in an old water butt till the new pool was created, filled and naturalised with saved original pond water and slime . So there you go ! ...the story of the 'Eels of the Effra ' (regardlessof any pollution obviously present ) continued at least as far as the late 90s when I was actively landscaping all around south london ,and in particular the Dulwich area . So thrilled , by the way, that finally you 'get ' sarrff Lundun ! 😊😊😊👍.It is a fine and far greener land . My old home on Spa Hill ,once called 'Leatherbottle Lane' , also has much history to explore !but I am now happily retired, enjoying your jaunts and living excitedly in a much more vast landscape .... Bodmin Moor ! ! All the best ! And more on south london would be much appreciated 👍😊 ....Stuart Dow .
Another epic lost river walk, John! I used to work next to MI6 and would often walk along that stretch of the river during my lunch break. I'm pretty certain that the confluence is marked by a large, wrought iron gate that juts out just below MI6, next to Vauxhall Bridge. It can be seen from the beach when the tide is out.
@@waynehicks2035 Maybe I am thinking of the outlet on Albert Embankment, west of Lambeth Bridge - about 300 yards East of the MI6 building ? just past the small pier.
Hi just watched the Effa Vlog....you may have solved a little problem for me. My grandparents and parents are buried at West Norwood cemetery and back in the 50s my mother used to take me , as a young child, to tend the graves. You could "hire" a watering can at the gatehouse and near by our plots there were 2 metal grids that you could lift and put the bucket down to get water. I often wondered if they were wells but now realise that it must have been the water of the Effra as it was in the area that you described. I don't suppose they are still in use now. Thank you for your wonderful walks.
I read the first Ben Aaronovitch , novel , Rivers of London and couldn't stop until I'd read them all . The River Gods are real , honour the River Gods . Another excellent walk John
Great film. My daughter had a flat on the Glazebrook Estate off Croxted Road and before the estate was built there was a pond on the site which was fed by the Effra. Through the estate along the railway line was a tree lined walk. This was the route from the station taken by P.G.Wodehouse when going to see cricket matches at the college. He grew up in a road near Glazebrook. Nearby is the very interesting Belair Park that we walked through to get to the gallery and here is a canal/lake formed by stopping the waters of the Effra. You walked so near to the Effra above ground. In a mad time your films are a balm, thank you, David.
Hi, John! I've just discovered your channel and subscribed for what I know will be hours of enjoyment. I was born in England in 1931 and lived in Swanscombe until 1960 and emigrated to New Zealand in 1962. The changes made during the last few years makes all the parts of London I knew unrecognisable. It is interesting that you are creating videos of the lost rivers of London. I am an avid reader, mostly of crime novels, and one of the authors on my favourite list is Nicci French (a collaboration between a married couple, Nicci Gerrard and Sean French) Many of the hidden rivers of London feature in their books. They name: Stamford Brook, Beverley Brook, River Wandle, River Falcon, River Effra, River Peck, River Neckringer, Earl's Sluice, River Lea, Wall Brook, River Tyburn, River Westbourne, Counter's Creek, and River Fleet. Is this the total number, or do you know of more?
I had to attend a meeting in London today, amidst all the chaos of the strike which closed down most of the London Underground. There was a hidden blessing, however, in that the series of events covering my journey back to Marylebone Station saw me taking a black cab whose driver is also a fan of this channel. Small world, or a sign of how deservedly well known and respected John Rogers is? We swapped thoughts on the various walks and which we had enjoyed watching the most. The cabbie hadn’t seen this particular episode, but I am sure he will enjoy it and if he reads this post; thanks once again for the chat.
Walked this one today and highly enjoyable it was, though a bit peeved that I missed the stink pipes, the plaque's and the Georgian letterbox! If only I'd known about Jon Newman's book before I set off, so that's on my London books to get list!..Great video again John, it would be great if I ever bumped into you on a walk one day...all the best.
Love your videos. Not sure what I enjoy most, your knowledge or your enthusiasm. I am from west London and never really ventured south of the wet stuff, clearly I missed quite a bit. Thank you.
I'm only 2 minutes in, and already I can tell this is gonna be a zinger! John your energy, production, editing, commentary it's all jumping out at me. This is definitely gonna be worth the wait. Right, I'm gonna stop commenting and blummin' get on with watching this masterpiece...
I just saw a part of my history .. my grandmother lived on Gipsy Road when she moved to London from Somerset to train as a nurse (at that hospital?) that’s why I love watching your videos. You never know what you’re going to see. Thanks John! And the Herne Hill velodrome .. my grandfather was a tandem cyclist so now I wonder if he cycled there. Thanks again!
At 42:03 I saw this street. I have to say (yes I do) that I found it really lovely. I don't know what it is but I feel I would be happy to live on it. Thanks for this John, I so enjoy your video's. Bye the bye you wife is gorgeous. Cheers from locked up and locked down Canada.
Fantastic to see you down our way - glad you enjoyed it. Come back and walk the rivers Wandle and Graveney. A lot of the Wandle is still visible, not so much of the Graveney...
Another great walk! I just watched this video with my Nan. She was born and raised in West Norwood and went to school down Gypsy Road. She said she used to run at Herne Hill athletics track, but I don't think that's the same as the velodrome. But her Uncles used to work at West Norwood Cemetary. She said it was a nice walk down memory lane for her. She turned 96 last Friday 😃
I lived right at the top of Gipsy hill for a few years. It's dead in line with St Pauls. The chain of hills from One tree hill to Streatham common in which all the springs that fed the Effra rise, was l think the earliest settled area of the Thames valley overlooking London after the last ice age. William Blake had his first visions of angels in the trees of One Tree hill when he was eight years old.
Thank you very much for making this video I've always had alot of interest in The Great North Wood, The River Effra (etc) and I live in West Norwood too. This has definitely awakened my mind 🥳. ALL THE BEST TO YOU 🥰🥳💥💯🙏🏽👍🏽.
Bonnington Square was an illegal squat at some point a few years back, but the squatters looked after the place, making a lovely little community garden and opening a cafe. They may have run a shop too… can’t remember. Anyway, they were never evicted because they truly looked after the place. I believe the cafe may well still be operating there. This walk had some old memories for me John. Thanks :)
Lovely video! The metal flap that you made a stab about isn't the outlet. If you had continued past the Wharf pier you would have found it. It's a couple of feet across and labelled Effra at street level, wording facing the river. Not sure if the street face of the sign also labels it, I've only ever seen the sign from the foreshore.
Your excitement at the start of the walk was captivating.i just had to stay with you on this walk brilliant John..loads of interesting places to see and learn from. One of your best yet... look forward to the next one ..were ever that my be.......
Wonderful stuff, sir! Places I've never visited, (Brixton excepted) lots of fascinating buildings & tales & the bonus of a river running through...greatly appreciated...
Great work, yet again sir. The Effra discharges into the Thames slightly further downstream, between Charity Towers and the MI6 building. There's quite an obvious outlet there and if you visit at the right time it smells pretty unpleasant.
Just discovered you, what a great walk. The confluence of Effra and Thames is other side to where you were looking, in front of MI6. in the Old Days we could walk right down onto the Riverside. Many a ritual honouring the Rivers were carried out there. Thanks for the memories
Thank you so much for this video. I made a comment on the Gants Hill video uploaded yesterday (3 December 2023) and mentioned this video. Here's part of a song lyric by my former songwriting partner, composed just after the Brixton riot of 1985. We were living in Brixton on Effra Road when the second riots erupted. It was my birthday weekend, and therefore one I will never forget. I have not been back but believe the terrace of houses we were living in has since been demolished, more's the pity. Effra Green on the riverbanks the tarmac grows Where there used to be a river now there’s Effra Road People sail on the tide of 9 to 5 Sirens scream with the adrenaline that keeps our city alive Oh they say we’re torn by black and white But if you set their river on fire the world shrinks back in fright
Oh my Goddess (River) that was excellent 👌. I do love it when you feature South of the river, and this walk especially thrilled me, taking me back to our family Manors of Dulwich, Camberwell and Brixton. My beloved Aunty and Uncle lived in Mervan Rd. I now live in the North now, England, not of the river. Once again thanks so much 🙏 x Ps, love the Rivers of London series too.
Fantastic vid as always and lovely that you have dropped into my area for the start of your walk. My theory was that the source of the River Effra started at someone’s back garden on College Green, adjacent to Westow Park. Made a short vid. ‘Finding the source of the River Effra’. The first RE plaque can be found between the VF convent walls and the apartment’s near the corner of Norwood Park and Elder Road.
As a Peckham born lad, we were made to run around Brockwell Park for Friday games at school. It was a very unpleasant end to the week. Another great walk John, thank you
I used to love tracking lost canals back in the 70s. So exciting when I found a disused lock hidden in the undergrowth. I did the way and Arun canal through to Portsmouth, only got as far as midhurst taking pictures and putting on a little display in the local libraries. The Adur from Shoreham and the Oose from Lewes. Another great video John, cheers buddy
You might be interested in Paul and Rebecca Whitewick's channel; they've covered the canals in the South, along with disused railways. The link, if it let's me , is ua-cam.com/users/pwhitewick1
Strange synchronicity! Watching this video on a Sunday afternoon after the night our local pub, ‘The Ship’ in Croydon held a memorial gathering for it’s legendary rock DJ, Matt Atwell Wood. Who was killed in the Helicopter crash in Vauxhall. Jan 2013 while walking to work through the Vauxhall Streets. Absolutely love your videos John. Have started walking the London Loop clockwise. 75% done and hoping that coincidence will have me see you coming the other way some day. Stranger things have happened.
I worked for a while - between 2008 and 2015 - in a building in Half Moon Lane (it's now a free school) and the basement was regularly flooded by the Effra or one of its tributaries. In the wet months the caretaker was always pumping water out of the nether depths. There was a manhole cover in the basement that you could look down into which was meters deep full of water.
Fantastic and interesting walk along the hidden Effra river. John...we discovered more talents about you...historian, author, poet, art gallery manager, and certainly, most importantly; you showed us those portraits of your beautiful wife... confirming for us your love and appreciation of natural beauty ( she is all that and more). Good on you Sir John!
Nice one John! You’re round our manor (West Norwood) in this vid, you certainly walked a long way... Look forward to checking out some of your other uploads :) Sam
The snowdrops were a highlight (living in Canada, as I do, where snowdrops are just a dream still) but also the mention of how calming cemeteries can be.
Thank you for another great walk! Have you ever read Christopher Fowler's The Water Room? He pays homage to the lost rivers of London in it. Delightfully quirky book.
Great walk John. I have a copy of the Newman Effra book so we followed along. I am also a fan of the Aaronovitch books and always liked the character of Effra's partner 'Oberon'.
I've watched so many of your walks,and learnt so much of my beloved London and beyond-thank you so much for your hard work,footfall and application.I hope I'll regain my va va voom,and start exploring again!
John I have to say that sometimes the BEST take a little longer to come about!!!!! I think that I have withdrawals until YOU publish the next walk!!!!! THANK YOU for who YOU are and what YOU do!!!!!
Great video this one, really enjoyed it, thanks as always for your work John.. I lived on Prima Road and there is a plaque on the pavement there for The River Effra, little did I know the epic tale and legacy it is part of!
A couple of things. It was a bit sad seeing the Half Moon at Herne Hill because it was near there that AC/DC's Bon Scott was found dead in his car in 1980. Re cemeteries. I went to the Ealing Jazz Festival for many years and one Sunday morning when I stayed overnight in Ealing which I didn't usually do I took a walk down to Hanwell. On the left hand side I saw one of the City of Westminster cemeteries that was notoriously sold for 15p back in the 1980's. I think it's great to have guides for walks but it's also a nice surprise to sometimes just come across something that triggers a memory. Thanks and I look forward to the next one "Wherever that may be".
A fabulous video as always. I believe that the exit sluice of the Effra is visible from Vauxhall bridge underneath the MI6 building. Amusingly I went for a job with TfL in 2000 as an incident response officer / planner. The scenario I was given was a light plane crash at Vauxhall station. I gave my prognoses about what I would do in an example such as this, stating that a helicopter from the local heliport was more likely but equally unlikely to happen because they were restricted to following the Thames. How wrong was I !!
I took some photos, years ago, of Belair, a large house in belair park, and I think it was the effra running above ground there. I lived in Herne hill when I was a kid, so Ruskin and brockwell parks are familiar to me! There used to be a miniature railway in brockwell park. I was born in kings college hospital! So was my younger brother. Some of my relations are buried in Norwood cemetery
Watching from USA. State of East Tennessee. Enjoy your walks you have enlightened me to a true feel of England. Thank you Sir for your passionate teachings. Love your UA-cam channel. 🌿🌾🌲🍁
East Tennessee isn't a state.
Hi watching here from Boston, MA this is a great show isn’t it
Half Moon Lane has always had terrible trouble with flooding. When I lived in the area Railton Road was open to travel as part of the one-way system and you could catch a bus from outside Herne Hill station. I used to live on Effra Road and was in Brockwell Park recently, there is a lovely secret walled garden there. I was just typing about the helicopter when you mentioned it, I was work in news at the time and was sent down to film on a rather misty morning. Another great walk.
Excellent! Your best yet! From New Jersey, USA.
I used to live in Brixton, Crystal Palace and West Norwood and the route of the Effra was a natural commute route into central London for me. I always wonder what those tall posts were for. While I lived in West Norwood there were issues with subsidence in the valley which people said was due to the Effra and the river "burst its banks" on one occasion causing flooding where you said, at the bottom of Auckland Hill. In the mid 2000s there was also such serious flooding along Dulwich Road and Burbage Road as surface rain water poured out of Brockwell Park looking for the river and the Effra overflowed out of Belair Park that pavements, traffic islands, even a bridge underpass disappeared under water.
I think the building at 10:00 was the Wood Vale Children's Home, at least during the 1960s when my mum trained there.
I believe the reason South London is appealing to some is that nature is closer to the surface. Geographic and ecological markers are more identifiable. Living in the Norwood valley could almost be tranquil at times.
Fantastic as always . John ,thankyou .
I used to be a landscape gardener in south London,based on Spa Hill, Upper Norwood . I had a job once of recreating a garden in Burbage rd and there was an old pond ,concrete , that was to be replaced by a better and more water retaining butyl lined pool . When we drained the old pond , and as usual at the bottom was much black oozy sludge .... the amazing suprise to me and my mate was an eel we found amongst that slimey ooze !
! We managed to capture it unharmed ,it was about 3ft long ,and kept it and enough water , oozy sediment and water plants in an old water butt till the new pool was created, filled and naturalised with saved original pond water and slime .
So there you go ! ...the story of the 'Eels of the Effra ' (regardlessof any pollution obviously present ) continued at least as far as the late 90s when I was actively landscaping all around south london ,and in particular the Dulwich area . So thrilled , by the way, that finally you 'get ' sarrff Lundun ! 😊😊😊👍.It is a fine and far greener land . My old home on Spa Hill ,once called 'Leatherbottle Lane' , also has much history to explore !but I am now happily retired, enjoying your jaunts and living excitedly in a much more vast landscape .... Bodmin Moor ! !
All the best ! And more on south london would be much appreciated 👍😊 ....Stuart Dow .
Another epic lost river walk, John!
I used to work next to MI6 and would often walk along that stretch of the river during my lunch break. I'm pretty certain that the confluence is marked by a large, wrought iron gate that juts out just below MI6, next to Vauxhall Bridge. It can be seen from the beach when the tide is out.
I thought the outflow was just to the west of Vauxhall Bridge - visible from the North Bank walkway
@@highpath4776 No, it's on the eastern side of the bridge.
@@waynehicks2035 Maybe I am thinking of the outlet on Albert Embankment, west of Lambeth Bridge - about 300 yards East of the MI6 building ? just past the small pier.
Yes your quite right, there is actually a picture of the gate on the Wiki page about the Effra
@@highpath4776 Could you be thinking of the boat slip way at the junction of Black Prince Road
Hi just watched the Effa Vlog....you may have solved a little problem for me. My grandparents and parents are buried at West Norwood cemetery and back in the 50s my mother used to take me , as a young child, to tend the graves. You could "hire" a watering can at the gatehouse and near by our plots there were 2 metal grids that you could lift and put the bucket down to get water. I often wondered if they were wells but now realise that it must have been the water of the Effra as it was in the area that you described. I don't suppose they are still in use now. Thank you for your wonderful walks.
I read the first Ben Aaronovitch , novel , Rivers of London and couldn't stop until I'd read them all . The River Gods are real , honour the River Gods .
Another excellent walk John
Great film. My daughter had a flat on the Glazebrook Estate off Croxted Road and before the estate was built there was a pond on the site which was fed by the Effra. Through the estate along the railway line was a tree lined walk. This was the route from the station taken by P.G.Wodehouse when going to see cricket matches at the college. He grew up in a road near Glazebrook. Nearby is the very interesting Belair Park that we walked through to get to the gallery and here is a canal/lake formed by stopping the waters of the Effra. You walked so near to the Effra above ground. In a mad time your films are a balm, thank you, David.
Thanks for going South of the River John. 😊😊😊 Knew Effra Rd as a child, but never knew about the buried river.
another river walk - these are just tremendous, john!
Hi, John! I've just discovered your channel and subscribed for what I know will be hours of enjoyment.
I was born in England in 1931 and lived in Swanscombe until 1960 and emigrated to New Zealand in 1962. The changes made during the last few years makes all the parts of London I knew unrecognisable.
It is interesting that you are creating videos of the lost rivers of London. I am an avid reader, mostly of crime novels, and one of the authors on my favourite list is Nicci French (a collaboration between a married couple, Nicci Gerrard and Sean French) Many of the hidden rivers of London feature in their books. They name: Stamford Brook, Beverley Brook, River Wandle, River Falcon, River Effra, River Peck, River Neckringer, Earl's Sluice, River Lea, Wall Brook, River Tyburn, River Westbourne, Counter's Creek, and River Fleet. Is this the total number, or do you know of more?
I had to attend a meeting in London today, amidst all the chaos of the strike which closed down most of the London Underground. There was a hidden blessing, however, in that the series of events covering my journey back to Marylebone Station saw me taking a black cab whose driver is also a fan of this channel. Small world, or a sign of how deservedly well known and respected John Rogers is? We swapped thoughts on the various walks and which we had enjoyed watching the most. The cabbie hadn’t seen this particular episode, but I am sure he will enjoy it and if he reads this post; thanks once again for the chat.
Thank you for the way you can bring to life areas that many of us would ignore..excellent enthusiasm!
Nice to see more of South London. Always enjoyable, thanks for sharing.
Yes, a cracking river walk that made a great job of connecting so many familiar places from my South London days.
There is something Druidic about you John. When you talk about rivers I sense a kind of worship in your voice.
That’s so kind of you Diana - deeply flattered
@@JohnRogersWalks I do hope so, it certainly was not ment as an insult.
The Relaince Arcade's Egyptian entrance and other architectural gems made this walk for me. Thank you for including them, John.
Another great example of this type of lost arcade is the Himalaya Palace at Southall. A beautiful building that has refused to be modernised
@John Joolz of Joolz Guides visited Peckham Rye. Some beautiful art deco architecture let go to wrack and ruin.
Walked this one today and highly enjoyable it was, though a bit peeved that I missed the stink pipes, the plaque's and the Georgian letterbox! If only I'd known about Jon Newman's book before I set off, so that's on my London books to get list!..Great video again John, it would be great if I ever bumped into you on a walk one day...all the best.
Fascinating walk, and your enthusiasm is contagious.
Love your videos. Not sure what I enjoy most, your knowledge or your enthusiasm. I am from west London and never really ventured south of the wet stuff, clearly I missed quite a bit. Thank you.
I'm only 2 minutes in, and already I can tell this is gonna be a zinger! John your energy, production, editing, commentary it's all jumping out at me. This is definitely gonna be worth the wait. Right, I'm gonna stop commenting and blummin' get on with watching this masterpiece...
Thanks Steve - hope you enjoyed it
@@JohnRogersWalks It was one of the best John. 👍
Aaah good to see the Half Moon pub - it was my local for many years. My friends and I used to drink in the snug bar. Wonderful pub.
I just saw a part of my history .. my grandmother lived on Gipsy Road when she moved to London from Somerset to train as a nurse (at that hospital?) that’s why I love watching your videos. You never know what you’re going to see. Thanks John! And the Herne Hill velodrome .. my grandfather was a tandem cyclist so now I wonder if he cycled there. Thanks again!
An amazing walk John, but that was some walk, must be one of your longest river walks so far. Thanks.
Tanken for another great walk. 51 days until I go to London again.
What a colorful, fascinating journey on a bright and beautiful day. You are right - this one was an epic. Well done!
At 42:03 I saw this street. I have to say (yes I do) that I found it really lovely. I don't know what it is but I feel I would be happy to live on it. Thanks for this John, I so enjoy your video's. Bye the bye you wife is gorgeous. Cheers from locked up and locked down Canada.
Interesting walk, similar to the Wandle l suppose. I like it when you do the flowers. Thanks John
Thank you so much, John. I'd rank this as one of your very best walks. Well worth the wait.
Cheers Gary
Fantastic to see you down our way - glad you enjoyed it. Come back and walk the rivers Wandle and Graveney. A lot of the Wandle is still visible, not so much of the Graveney...
I think John has walked the Wandle?
@@jeremybuck1818 Oops - I'll have to look back through the archives for that one...
Another great walk! I just watched this video with my Nan. She was born and raised in West Norwood and went to school down Gypsy Road. She said she used to run at Herne Hill athletics track, but I don't think that's the same as the velodrome. But her Uncles used to work at West Norwood Cemetary. She said it was a nice walk down memory lane for her. She turned 96 last Friday 😃
fanatically interesting. a joy to view. thank you very much.
What a great journey J, thank you so much.
I lived right at the top of Gipsy hill for a few years. It's dead in line with St Pauls. The chain of hills from One tree hill to Streatham common in which all the springs that fed the Effra rise, was l think the earliest settled area of the Thames valley overlooking London after the last ice age. William Blake had his first visions of angels in the trees of One Tree hill when he was eight years old.
Thank you very much for making this video I've always had alot of interest in The Great North Wood, The River Effra (etc) and I live in West Norwood too. This has definitely awakened my mind 🥳. ALL THE BEST TO YOU 🥰🥳💥💯🙏🏽👍🏽.
Loved that walk - what a diverse one it was!
Thank you for taking us on such a fantastic walk
My pleasure David
Bonnington Square was an illegal squat at some point a few years back, but the squatters looked after the place, making a lovely little community garden and opening a cafe. They may have run a shop too… can’t remember. Anyway, they were never evicted because they truly looked after the place. I believe the cafe may well still be operating there. This walk had some old memories for me John. Thanks :)
Yes, that was a cracking walk, John, very much enjoyed.
Thanks Theo
Oh, yeah. Beautiful! Taking notes for an extended stay in London coming up in a few months. Much thanks from Oklahoma, USA.
Brilliant walk John, loved it. 👍 so much gorgeous scenery. This was one of my best lost river walks.
Lovely video! The metal flap that you made a stab about isn't the outlet. If you had continued past the Wharf pier you would have found it. It's a couple of feet across and labelled Effra at street level, wording facing the river. Not sure if the street face of the sign also labels it, I've only ever seen the sign from the foreshore.
Your excitement at the start of the walk was captivating.i just had to stay with you on this walk brilliant John..loads of interesting places to see and learn from. One of your best yet... look forward to the next one ..were ever that my be.......
Superb...👍.
What an amazing walk! Thanks for sharing it with us!
What a beautiful lyrical walk. Thank you John.
My pleasure Esther - thanks for watching
A joyous video. Thank you - I have missed your wonderful enthusiasm and wealth of knowledge .
Thank again John. A great walk. Looking forward to the next one. Best wishes.
Wonderful stuff, sir! Places I've never visited, (Brixton excepted) lots of fascinating buildings & tales & the bonus of a river running through...greatly appreciated...
Great work, yet again sir. The Effra discharges into the Thames slightly further downstream, between Charity Towers and the MI6 building. There's quite an obvious outlet there and if you visit at the right time it smells pretty unpleasant.
Just discovered you, what a great walk. The confluence of Effra and Thames is other side to where you were looking, in front of MI6. in the Old Days we could walk right down onto the Riverside. Many a ritual honouring the Rivers were carried out there. Thanks for the memories
Brilliant walk - thank you.
A fabulous walk, thank you John.
Thank you so much for this video. I made a comment on the Gants Hill video uploaded yesterday (3 December 2023) and mentioned this video. Here's part of a song lyric by my former songwriting partner, composed just after the Brixton riot of 1985. We were living in Brixton on Effra Road when the second riots erupted. It was my birthday weekend, and therefore one I will never forget. I have not been back but believe the terrace of houses we were living in has since been demolished, more's the pity.
Effra
Green on the riverbanks the tarmac grows
Where there used to be a river now there’s Effra Road
People sail on the tide of 9 to 5
Sirens scream with the adrenaline that keeps our city alive
Oh they say we’re torn by black and white
But if you set their river on fire the world shrinks back in fright
Thanks for sharing that Sky
@@JohnRogersWalks Just wish I could remember the lyrics of verse two. :)
Great work here John, as always, and you had ideal weather by the looks of it.
Excellent walk john, one of your best to date.
Cheers Christo
Great walk John took me back to spinning around the velodrome
Hi John Another brilliant and interesting walk with you Thanks again 👍
Thank you John. Watching now. My Sunday evening treat!
@velicia 12 Reported this bot.
@@AliBees Me too
Oh my Goddess (River) that was excellent 👌. I do love it when you feature South of the river, and this walk especially thrilled me, taking me back to our family Manors of Dulwich, Camberwell and Brixton. My beloved Aunty and Uncle lived in Mervan Rd. I now live in the North now, England, not of the river. Once again thanks so much 🙏 x
Ps, love the Rivers of London series too.
Thanks John for another great video, maybe one day I will get visit London and the Thames and Wye valley's again.
Wonderful entertainment and inspiring to learn more of our capital
Thoroughly enjoyable and fascinating. Thank you!
I love watching your videos. Very informative and very relaxing.
Fantastic vid as always and lovely that you have dropped into my area for the start of your walk.
My theory was that the source of the River Effra started at someone’s back garden on College Green, adjacent to Westow Park. Made a short vid. ‘Finding the source of the River Effra’.
The first RE plaque can be found between the VF convent walls and the apartment’s near the corner of Norwood Park and Elder Road.
As always... fantastic...
A bit of calm in these crazy times... thanks so much for doing what you do...
As a Peckham born lad, we were made to run around Brockwell Park for Friday games at school. It was a very unpleasant end to the week. Another great walk John, thank you
I used to love tracking lost canals back in the 70s. So exciting when I found a disused lock hidden in the undergrowth. I did the way and Arun canal through to Portsmouth, only got as far as midhurst taking pictures and putting on a little display in the local libraries. The Adur from Shoreham and the Oose from Lewes. Another great video John, cheers buddy
You might be interested in Paul and Rebecca Whitewick's channel; they've covered the canals in the South, along with disused railways. The link, if it let's me , is ua-cam.com/users/pwhitewick1
Strange synchronicity! Watching this video on a Sunday afternoon after the night our local pub, ‘The Ship’ in Croydon held a memorial gathering for it’s legendary rock DJ, Matt Atwell Wood. Who was killed in the Helicopter crash in Vauxhall. Jan 2013 while walking to work through the Vauxhall Streets.
Absolutely love your videos John. Have started walking the London Loop clockwise. 75% done and hoping that coincidence will have me see you coming the other way some day.
Stranger things have happened.
wow , mad coincidence ! i cycled past about 20 minutes after it happened
Thanks for another cracking vlog love how you get so happy about it and your passion shines through and all the interesting historical things to see
I worked for a while - between 2008 and 2015 - in a building in Half Moon Lane (it's now a free school) and the basement was regularly flooded by the Effra or one of its tributaries. In the wet months the caretaker was always pumping water out of the nether depths. There was a manhole cover in the basement that you could look down into which was meters deep full of water.
Love stories like that Carl
Wow! what a cracking walk, John...watching from the Blue Mountains outside Sydney. Bloody epic, mate.
Fantastic and interesting walk along the hidden Effra river.
John...we discovered more talents about you...historian, author, poet, art gallery manager, and certainly, most importantly; you showed us those portraits of your beautiful wife... confirming for us your love and appreciation of natural beauty ( she is all that and more). Good on you Sir John!
many thanks - very kind
Superb and very interesting walk through some unusual urban landscapes.
Thanks John.
Nice one John! You’re round our manor (West Norwood) in this vid, you certainly walked a long way... Look forward to checking out some of your other uploads :)
Sam
Love to see the snowdrops and daffs along the way.
The snowdrops were a highlight (living in Canada, as I do, where snowdrops are just a dream still) but also the mention of how calming cemeteries can be.
Thank you for another great walk! Have you ever read Christopher Fowler's The Water Room? He pays homage to the lost rivers of London in it. Delightfully quirky book.
Great walk John. I have a copy of the Newman Effra book so we followed along. I am also a fan of the Aaronovitch books and always liked the character of Effra's partner 'Oberon'.
Yet another gem. Thanks JR.
I've watched so many of your walks,and learnt so much of my beloved London and beyond-thank you so much for your hard work,footfall and application.I hope I'll regain my va va voom,and start exploring again!
great walk John. Some magnificent houses in S London. Great to rock down to Electric Avenue. Canute a great thinker.
Thanks John
Amazing walk mush.. Loved it.
Brilliant lost river walk thanks John
Been to two funerals at Norwood. RIP Raver Drew and Richie Blood.
Aye.
John I have to say that sometimes the BEST take a little longer to come about!!!!! I think that I have withdrawals until YOU publish the next walk!!!!! THANK YOU for who YOU are and what YOU do!!!!!
thanks so much Ben
Great video this one, really enjoyed it, thanks as always for your work John.. I lived on Prima Road and there is a plaque on the pavement there for The River Effra, little did I know the epic tale and legacy it is part of!
Thanks John that was a good one
Just the ticket after all the grim news this weekend. Good one John.
Thanks Jay
A couple of things.
It was a bit sad seeing the Half Moon at Herne Hill because it was near there that AC/DC's Bon Scott was found dead in his car in 1980.
Re cemeteries. I went to the Ealing Jazz Festival for many years and one Sunday morning when I stayed overnight in Ealing which I didn't usually do I took a walk down to Hanwell. On the left hand side I saw one of the City of Westminster cemeteries that was notoriously sold for 15p back in the 1980's.
I think it's great to have guides for walks but it's also a nice surprise to sometimes just come across something that triggers a memory.
Thanks and I look forward to the next one "Wherever that may be".
Absolutely fascinating video John. I too am a South London naive. Watching this makes me want to visit this part.
Fantastic walk, as always. Thank you for taking us with you.
Thanks John, Great to see you Back, Keep Well and Safe !!
Cheers Dave
A fabulous video as always. I believe that the exit sluice of the Effra is visible from Vauxhall bridge underneath the MI6 building.
Amusingly I went for a job with TfL in 2000 as an incident response officer / planner. The scenario I was given was a light plane crash at Vauxhall station. I gave my prognoses about what I would do in an example such as this, stating that a helicopter from the local heliport was more likely but equally unlikely to happen because they were restricted to following the Thames. How wrong was I !!
Very enjoyable, thank you. Hope you had a nice cold beer afterwards!
I would have loved to have gone inside some of those pubs, great stuff, thanks John.
You make the ordinary and everyday epic Thanks
Thanks John
Great walk and like you, I have overlooked the South of the river too. I must make more of an effort in the future!
I took some photos, years ago, of Belair, a large house in belair park, and I think it was the effra running above ground there. I lived in Herne hill when I was a kid, so Ruskin and brockwell parks are familiar to me! There used to be a miniature railway in brockwell park. I was born in kings college hospital! So was my younger brother. Some of my relations are buried in Norwood cemetery