(Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
My interest had started to be aroused nearly a year earlier
at a LAMAS Lecture at the Museum of London when Stephen Myers gave a talk, he
is the author of ‘Walking on Water’ about London’s hidden rivers. It was
riveting and the notes taken by a colleague became the basis of this walk.
Not sure why I did not go out and buy the book, it just didn’t
happen that way. Just used the notes, Stow, and a couple of interesting
Victorian writers on the subject, one with the surname ‘Foord’! So appropriate to the subject. Copious notes followed
all to be pared down to bullet points taking up three pages – definitely a page
and half too long!
Also began walking what was recorded to be the meanderings
of the river picking up from the West end of Broadgate, under the Roman Wall, across
London Wall, along Copthall Avenue, down Token House Yard through the church of
St Margaret Lothbury and so on. The fact
that St Margaret straddles two wards is because? Yes, a river ran through the
site of the original church. Also the name Lothbury is a clue, previously known
as ‘upon Lothberi’ perhaps describing a crossing over a tributary of the
Walbrook.
MOLA Hoarding - Bucklersbury Hythe - Artists Impression of dock as high up as Bucklersbury |
In Court of Common Council records it is written that the Walbrook
created an administrative division between the then 24 Wards (self-governing
districts within the City), denoted by ‘East of Walbrook’ or ‘West of Walbrook’
certainly until the end of the Tudor period. The church rebuilt in 1440 straddled
the culverted Walbrook and still has plaques denoting Coleman and Broad Street
Wards on the building.
Nero coin found Bucklersbury Site and shown to us on 18/02/13 |
Creating a walk requires considerable time and research and
then it has to be walked and tried out several times. Even on the day of the
first walk there are still tweaks, omissions and additions to consider. Also
your audience can ask a question which you may have the answer for but did not initially
recognise its relevance, and importance to the listener, so the next time you include
it. Of course you need to be timely with your stops and when you have so much
to tell but only a short time to tell it, you have to be succinct. Which can be
frustrating, but that’s what the training and practice is all about. I think
that is the hardest part to know when to stop and move on.
(c) Steve Duncan - Urban Explorer Walbrook 'springs eternal' |
Today I found a copy of Stephen Myer’s book at the Guildhall
Library and it’s a great read. Of course I have now discovered even more
interesting things to include. It also
raised further questions and perhaps even doubts. That’s the way with talking and walking
history, you never know what will be discovered or what new information is forth
coming, there is not one way of telling it but many.
One thing is for certain the Walbrook may have been the
first of the London rivers to disappear but it will certainly not be the last
time you will be hearing about it.
Come and join me and let me tell you more - http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/event/5226753360
Check out the MOLA site below:
http://walbrookdiscovery.wordpress.com/2012/11/23/feeling-drained/
Check out the MOLA site below:
http://walbrookdiscovery.wordpress.com/2012/11/23/feeling-drained/
Very interesting to see how your Walbrook Walk developed over time. We loved following along via twitter! You'll have to let us know when your next one is!
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