London's Buried Rivers Rise Again

"The scheme to revive old rivers will start in the suburbs but may attempt to recreate “ornamental stretches” of inner London rivers if possible. The Serpentine lake in Hyde Park, for example, is a remnant of the Westbourne River, a section of which, however, still passes over Sloane Square Tube station in an aqueduct.

One design firm has even proposed that Fleet Street, which crosses the route of the old River Fleet, might turn into a Venetian-style waterway.

Peter Bishop, director of Design for London, the group advising the mayor, said: “When these rivers are opened up I think Londoners will be absolutely amazed. They [the rivers] have been there all the time but you never see them.”

A scheme in Sutcliffe Park, southeast London, has uncovered a section of the River Quaggy, and another project is under way in Lewisham where the Quaggy and the Ravensbourne also flow underground. A new development of flats will restore parts of both rivers within a public space lined by cycleways and footpaths.

“We’re looking at raising the Wandle, which runs from Croydon to Wandsworth, the Bourne, which flows through southeast London, and the Brent, which passes through Wembley,” said Bishop."