The Grand Surrey Canal
Two junctions existed on the canal, connecting the Peckham and 'Croydon' sections. The junctions did not appear to have any official names. The one with the Croydon has been called Hatcham Junction but it is not known if this was used when the Croydon Canal was extant, as no map from the 19th Century shows that name, or whether it was a name ascribed by canal historians simply because the first lock on the Croydon was sometimes known as Hatcham lock
The Surrey Canal's junctions
Both the Grand Surrey and Croydon companies intended upon having a junction with the Thames at Rotherhithe. The Croydon Canal soon settled for a junction to be made with the Grand Surrey at Coldblow. Thus until 1836 Croydon boats shared the Thames connection with the Grand Surrey and there was a lot of friction between the two companies. The Grand Surrey's main trade was in timber and not surprisingly the Croydon often complained of obstructions to traffic from floating logs that were stored in the Grand Surrey's waters
The Grand Surrey acquired the stump belonging to the Croydon Canal soon after that canal's closure. The passage of time saw this small remnant of the Croydon eventually reduced to nothing more than a mere wharf, although widened, as seen below, by the London and Croydon railway in order to provide an interchange point with the Grand Surrey. It was last in use around 1965 and subsequently filled in
 Used by permission - Croydon Local Studies Library |  |
The colour picture shows the junction of Surrey Canal Road and Mercury Way, along whose alignment the Croydon canal ran. The Grand Surrey, although having closed in 1971, remained in water for a few years after closure. It was eventually drained and subsequently infilled during 1978, ultimately becoming the Surrey Canal Road by the mid 1980's
A view of the former junction at Coldblow through the arches of the London - Croydon Railway Line. A mooring bollard still exists at this point, as the picture shows. Some of these were evidently more suited for ships
A sign by the former junction with the Peckham branch. The Surrey Canal Walk forms a linear parkway that stretches from Peckham to Camberwell
View of the Junction looking east. The Peckham Branch heads off to the right. There is virtually no trace of the canal from here eastwards to the Old Kent Road
Looking to the junction from the Peckham Branch
A view along the canal alignment westwards. The junction is in the foreground. It can be said that one can see the entire length of the former canal route from here to Camberwell. (In the distance can be seen the lattice footbridge, the church and blocks of flats in Camberwell)
Parts of the old canal wall can be seen at the junction. On the right of the wall would have been the water, on the left the towpath
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