London’s Lost Rivers: A Walker’s Guide Volume 2 (Strange Attractor, November 2019)
“The shades of Sinclair, Sebald & Self cluster thick & fast in this remarkable exercise in Gonzo archaeology.”
“Tom carves out his own channel with some proper hardcore research and a wealth of detail, all beautifully written up into walking routes. He’ll have you looking for dips in the road, listening at drain covers and analysing street names in search of buried water.” – Matt Brown, Londonist
London’s Lost Rivers: A Walker’s Guide Volume 1 (Strange Attractor, revised edition 2019)
by Tom Bolton
Strange Attractor, 2010
Photography by SF Said
Foreword by Christopher Fowler
Paperback, 272pp, illustrated, £9.99
ISBN 978 1907222030
Available in the USA from MIT Press.
‘an indispensable guide’ – Ham and High
‘a cracking read even if you have no intention of pounding the pavements’ – Londonist
‘a terrific mix of history, topography and practicality… astonishingly diligent… highly recommended’ – The Great Wen
When we think of London’s river, the vast thoroughfare of the Thames immediately springs to mind. But this ancient city was built around other rivers too – and traces of these still remain, for those who know where to look.
London’s Lost Rivers takes the reader on a series of walks along the routes of eight lost rivers, combining directions for walkers with richly detailed anecdotes outlining the history of each river’s route, origins and decline.
The book includes walks along the Earl’s Sluice, the Effra, the Fleet, the Neckinger, the Peck, the Tyburn, the Walbrook, the Wandle and the Westbourne.
Tom Bolton 