Place   

River Effra

Categories: Gardens / Agriculture

At the Brockwell Lido plaque there is an information board which begins by explaining the function of stink pipes:
"What is a stink pipe?
The lofty green pipe behind you is a Victorian stink pipe, a hollow pillar built to allow noxious (and smelly) gases to escape from underground sewers into the air, high above our heads. Often unnoticed by passers-by, stink pipes ensured that gases didn’t build up to dangerous pressures in the sewage pipes below.

The ‘lost’ River Effra
Stink pipes such as this one can be found along the course of the ‘lost‘ River Effra, which flowed from springs in West Norwood and Dulwich, passing Herne Hill and meandering through Brixton and Kennington before emptying into the Thames at Vauxhall. The once sparkling Effra was heavily polluted by people and factories until it eventually became an open sewer. The contaminated river was incorporated into the Victorian sewer system in the 1860s. Now the stink pipes are the only remaining signposts to mark where the river flows beneath the streets of Lambeth and Southwark."

The board goes on to explain that while the river has gone, its valley remains and exacerbates flooding in the area. People are encouraged not to pave their gardens. We applaud the message and all the work that is being done on this problem.

For the route of the Effra see Turney and Burbage. The northern part of the route, as the river approaches the Thames, is much less certain than the rest.

Diamond Geezer has a very informative post about the plaques that mark the route. We haven't found them all. Do let us and DG know if you find any more.

April 2024: Alan Underwood kindly shared with us his map with 31 plaques plotted. We've found only 17 which leaves a few still for us to capture.

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

Commemorated ati

River Effra - Barnwell Road

The hidden River Effra is beneath your feet.

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River Effra - Brockwell Lido

The hidden River Effra is beneath your feet.

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River Effra - Canterbury Square 1

The hidden River Effra is beneath your feet.

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River Effra - Canterbury Square 2

The hidden River Effra is beneath your feet.

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River Effra - Canterbury Square 3

The hidden River Effra is beneath your feet.

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Show all 17

Other Subjects

Kai Leslie

Kai Leslie

We are not certain that these dates are for her life or for the time that she was associated with Ennismore Gardens.

Person, Gardens / Agriculture

1 memorial
Norwood Action Group

Norwood Action Group

A local group dedicated to the economic, environmental and social regeneration of the area.

Group, Community / Clubs, Gardens / Agriculture, Social Welfare

2 memorials
Friends of St George's Gardens

Friends of St George's Gardens

Their website describes the gardens thus: "An oasis of calm used every week by hundreds of people living and working in London WC1."

Group, Community / Clubs, Gardens / Agriculture

1 memorial
Jane Loudon

Jane Loudon

Author and pioneer of science fiction. Born near Birmingham as Jane Webb. Wrote "The Mummy!: Or a Tale of the Twenty-Second Century" and published it in 1827, anonymously. This was reviewed favour...

Person, Art, Gardens / Agriculture, Literature

1 memorial
St Mary Magdalen, Bermondsey, churchyard garden

St Mary Magdalen, Bermondsey, churchyard garden

Churchyard closed for burials and given to the Vestry of Bermondsey on 17 May 1882, it was opened to the public on 28 February 1883.

Place, Gardens / Agriculture, Religion

1 memorial