Through the 'Urethra of London' ( Walthamstow / Leytonstone / Leyton )

Nick Papadimitriou and John Rogers explore the valley of the Philly Brook -- the buried and forgotten stream that runs beneath the streets of the London zone that begat Alfred Hitchcock, London's short-lived 'Left Bank' and the great Panjandrum - Leytonstone.
This is an area sitting on the north-eastern frontier, within a triangulation of green spaces -- Leyton Marshes, Wanstead Flats and Epping Forest. This is also a place that by the mid-1990s had the largest population of artists of anywhere in Britain.
There is reading by Heidi Lapaine with music by Europa 51.
Read more here: bit.ly/​gDWvFR
Download the podcast here: podcasts.resonancefm.com/​archives/​5123
Read more here thelostbyway.co...
shot with a sanyo xacti cg-10, sound recorded on edirol rh-09
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Please watch: "Walk from St.Paul's through Islington to Highgate"
• Walk from St.Paul's th...
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[@jasonpfinch]

In 1970 was christened in the church of St Peter-in-the-Forest next to where they are at about 0:56, and my grandad's memorial service was in the same church in 2001.

[@john80c]

Amazing how a timeless stream continues to flow through an ever changing developers plaything.

[@attlee1945]

Wow John Rogers and David Boote together - my 2 favourite walkers.

[@MrLarryhoover425]

I love deep topography, it's right up my street!

[@manamansname1916]

It veers off to the left and down woodstreet, which today if it rains heavily because of the stream it always floods

[@chrismccartney8668]

I used to live in Leyspring road Leytonstone (59) when living at home and was culverted thru a number of the cellars as a pipe.. Also when i bought my first house in stevenage road E6 2ax ? During periods of heavy rain the garden would suddenly be flooded with groundwater found out we were built on the riverbed gravels of the watercress farm.. Of course the clue was the local pub The Roding as the river roding had been diverted round the gas works and gas works sports ground..

[@JohnRogersWalks]

Thanks for that Chris - when I did my initial research at the Vestry House I saw all those watercourses coming off Wanstead Flats and heard similar stories from other residents over that way. London is a rich territory of streams and brooks beneath the ground

[@CthulhuInc]

is the philly brook the same as the fillebrook?

[@SeanSpurr]

I think I can show you exactly where it goes, after spending a few days searching for lost river Peck on old maps, I found a better way of seeing where lost rivers are - surface water flooding maps. The filliebrook has a very obvious course, but there does appear to be a second lost river going towards leyton midland road. watermaps.environment-agency.gov.uk/wiyby/wiyby.aspx?lang=_e&topic=ufmfsw&layer=default&scale=11&x=534924&y=178330#x=539625&y=175684&scale=10

[@JohnRogersWalks]

Thanks very much for this Sean incredibly useful. I've taken a couple of groups on this walk and in daylight you can see a very short section running in a culvert alongside the allotments. That other watercourse is intriguing but does tally up with an email I was sent about flooding in other allotments further towards Lea Bridge but East of the Dagenham Brook. Could be worth a walk to take a look

[@normanno8514]

in his book scarp - nick says he never goes east of the river lea

[@roll-in-peace231]

Upperwalthamstow road

[@nobbilc]

I live in NZ.But,as a kid lived in Enfield,in a road called Fillebrook Ave. Not too far from section of the Lea. Any connection between Fillebrook and Philly Brook,John?

[@JohnRogersWalks]

+nobbilc that's really intriguing, I'll investigate, feel there must be a link (same landowner perhaps?) - thanks for the info

[@ajmalshahtravelling7088]

ideal palces

[@rebeccakay5394]

Yeah, FOR A TRAMP

[@michaelvandromme]

Crikey John you've grown hair! Must've been something in the water! 😉

[@JohnRogersWalks]

+Michael Saxman but sadly not on the bald patch

[@rebeccakay5394]

AAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[@roll-in-peace231]

I lived on greenway avenve

[@rebeccakay5394]

So

[@rebeccakay5394]

me wee wee