Along Shardeloes Road
Having initially seen the block of flats from the Goldsmiths
grounds at Barriedale, they are now in full view here. They're just
off Shardeloes Road as it makes a turn by the junction with St.
Donats Road. The Croydon Canal ran between the flats and the
boundaries of properties to the right, so in many respects these
cars are on the canal's actual alignment.
From the same position as above but looking right, we see the
boundary of properties that lie on Barriedale where it runs
parallel to Shardeloes Road. The canal's western flank was on this
boundary. At this position, the canal would have run from right to
left towards Croydon, the photographer being more or less in the
centre of the former alignment.
Brindley Street just off Shardeloes Road. Lets hope that some
council planner did not mistake Brindley as being the engineer of
the Croydon Canal! At least the area has some connection with
canals.
In 'Retracing Canals to Croydon and Camberwell,' its suggested
the canal ran along the present route of Shardeloes Road all the
way to Brockley Cross, whereas recent research suggests it ran on
the right hand side as far as Vesta Road, before running along the
road itself. The book also suggests locks 11 and 12 were situated
on this northern section of Shardeloes Road, whereas Peter Gow's
work indicates these locks actually began just before Brockley
Station. The view below shows Shardeloes Road, and since it is
quite level, it is probably correct that locks 11 and 12 began at
Brockley for the canal south of Vesta Road was in a shallow
cutting. To the right stand the block of flats that mark the canal
coming off the Barriedale section.
This view (below) looks north to Vesta Road, and this section is
where Shardeloes Road uses the old canal. After the canal closed,
the route a country lane of sorts - as seen on old maps of the area
- to serve the brickfields that were built on the site of the New
Cross locks. The lane evolved eventually into Shardeloes Road. It
always seems odd when roads are found to be built on former canal
routes, but there are many other instances around the country
including the Grand Surrey.
This is a view (below) towards Brockley Cross, where the canal
began its ascent to Honor Oak. A lock keepers house, which existed
until about 1947, stood where the red bus stop area in the road is.
A drawing of the cottage is shown (right below.) It seems odd that
a lock keepers house was situated where there was actually no
locks, but in hindsight it may have been that this lock keeper's
cottage, by reason of its location, may have been for the locks to
New Cross, and part way to Honor Oak - eg ten down to New Cross and
perhaps the first two or so up towards Honor Oak, balancing up the
responsibility that the lock keeper at Honor Oak had of looking
after say, 17 locks. These two lengths would have been more or less
equal in terms of walking distance. In the foreground is the
approximate location of a swing bridge, by the junction with
Millmark Grove. This swing bridge would have also been under the
cottage's jurisdiction.
The canal passed under a bridge at Brockley Cross, and continued
to run on the right hand side past this railway bridge. On the far
side of the bridge, the route entered the Brockley Station environs
to begin the ascent through 18 locks from
Brockley to Honor Oak, starting with lock 11.
