The Grand Surrey Canal
Greenland Dock was the start of the Surrey Canal and its unusual drop down lock
Along the canal route - Greenland Dock to Plough Lane
The former entrance to the Grand Surrey Canal. The very tall building, known as Eddystone Tower which stands along the canal's alignment at the Pepys Estate in Deptford can be seen above the rooftops. Directly beneath it amidst the fencing stands the Canal Office
Machinery formerly used to operate the Grand Surrey's lockgates
In 2008 this new development was underway. Unfortunately the canal office was demolished. This is a view looking directly down the former canal alignment. Part of the Eddystone Tower can be glimpsed in the far distance
In April 2011 this shows a view of the same deveopment that quashed the existence of the former canal office. Clearly this development has been abandoned. Just out of sight behind the fencing the old information board about the canal office still stands - a homage to nothing in particular nowadays.
It is absolutely clear that many of these re-developments around London's waterways destroy the character and fabric of our precious few city water spaces. Merchant Square, a trashy and utterly soul-less development in Paddington is one excellent example, a sickening modernist development that is NOT in any way modern but utterly retrograde with a name that no-one wants to use - apart from the developers themselves! Most of Surrey Quays (a pretentious, crappy name in an attempt to shake off the name 'docks' as if the old name was something to be embarrassed about...) is without a doubt another. It is high time the pioneers/instigators/financial backers of these mass re-developments f**cked off and left things alone because NOT ONE of them have any proper understanding of water space and waterways history and the sensitive input that is needed in order to retain their unique character and history
Homage to a non-existent canal office
- bring back the damn building that stood here before!
The site of the lock where the new Plough Way now stands. The canal office can just be seen. These were taken while the canal office still stood
The new Plough Lane crosses the former course of the canal. The road leading off to the right is the stump of the OLD Plough Lane
The picture below which is from a 1954 film called 'Together' has a perspective that is just a little bit to the west of the above photograph
View of Plough Lane bridge from a dredger as seen in the 1954 film 'Together'. This is a comparable view with the previous one, the persepctive being slightly to the west, and it is hard to believe that such drastic change has occurred
The other end of the OLD Plough Lane existed behind this wall. It took a sharp right hand turn at this point and climbed an incline that took it across the Grand Surrey Canal below the lock. The Eddystone Tower provides a constant reference to the siting of the roads and canal alignment (see below)
The same view today - modern flats on the former alignment of the old Plough Lane. The Eddystone tower block in the distance is in the same location in both shots
The OLD Plough Lane BEFORE the flats were built! The road turned left just past this point to cross the Grand Surrey Canal. The Eddystone tower can be seen in the background
New development has obliterated most of the old Plough Lane. Fortunately the old boundary wall has been left intact at the far end where Plough Lane turned eastwards towards the canal
Part two of Grand Surrey route to the Old Kent Road
THE ROUTE:
Buildings / Surrey Docks 1 / Surrey Docks 2 / Surrey Docks 3 / To Old Kent Road / Canal Junctions / Canal Names / Bridges / Wharves / Peckham / Camberwell
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 from Camden to Euston / 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 / Crockers Folly / Derry and Toms / Edgware Road / Marylebone Goods / Nash Villas / Spitfire Works / St Pancras