The Croydon Canal
8) The Davids Road elevated walkway at Forest Hill
The houses along Davids Road are said to be built on the bed of the canal
New Mural in Davids Road The canal route in Forest Hill, as mentioned previously, runs along Davids Road approaching the environs of Forest Hill via a raised pavement which is a descendant of the former towpath itself. The houses were built on the canal bed. In 2003 the local council had part of the Davids Road footpath wall rebuilt as a mural featuring the different phases of transport systems through Forest Hill over the centuries. As well as trams, and trains, the canal is depicted with a traditional hump-backed bridge through which a barge is passing - in some respects it seems a copy of the British Waterways logo! Three large descriptive plaques relate local history and also the canal itself (below) and the footway is acknowledged as having had its origins in the Croydon Canal
This is a view looking north west along Davids Road. The new mural and plaques can be seen on the wall.
The hill in the background is 'One Tree Hill' which the canal's route has skirted around since the location of Honor Oak top lock
This throughfare used to be called Canal Road at one time! The Forest Hill swing bridge was about where the traffic lights are. The route from the Thames came from the right and ran across the picture leftwards towards Croydon. Forest Hill station is out of sight on the left - but its sign is easily seen. About where the sign is the canal route passed between the brick building (WH Smiths) and the white building (William Hill's) as seen more closely in the Through Forest Hill section
THE CROYDON CANAL PAGES:
hatcham / new cross / barriedale / shardeloes rd / brockley / honor oak / boveney rd / davids rd / forest hill / sydenham / dacres wood / venner rd / penge / anerley / betts park / norwood / towpath way / spurgeons br / west croydon / route maps
Around Little Venice & Paddington: History and transport systems / Canute's 'Canal': The mythological waterway that wasnt / Croydon Canal: London's shortest-lived waterway, closing completely by 1837 / Cumberland Arm: A branch off the Regents Canal to Euston / Fleet River & Canal: The former Thames - Kings Cross waterway / Grand Surrey: The canal with an ambition to reach Portsmouth! / Grosvenor Canal: The Grosvenor linked Victoria to the Thames / Kensington Canal: The canal that became a railway and an underground route / London's Canal Tunnels: There are three canal tunnels in London / Paddington Arm: The Grand Junction/Grand Union from Bulls Bridge to London / Pudding Mill River: Requiem for London's lost waterway / Regents Canal: This runs between Little Venice, Camden Town & Limehouse / Romford Canal: The penultimate, yet unfinished, canal to be built in London / Ruislip Feeder: The former waterway that fed the canal / Westbourne River: The old waterway from Kilburn to the Thames / Woolwich's secret waterway: The Royal Arsenal Canal
Attractions near the London canals: Abbey Road / Bayswater / Edgware Road / Crockers Folly / Marylebone Goods / Nash Villas / Spitfire Works / St Pancras