Comments on: Grand Surrey Canal

By: Andrew Pearson

Andrew Pearson — Sun, 22 Jan 2023 12:43:35 +0000

In reply to Lewis Esposito. Well said Lewis! I agree completely. Interestingly, Jessie Burgess herself argued in favour of keeping the canal too!

By: Lewis Esposito

Lewis Esposito — Sat, 21 Jan 2023 10:20:09 +0000

I was born in the area, l went to Walworth School and often walked over Burgess canal footbridge to get to a good chip shop the other side of thee canal. As much as l understand the dangers of the canal, it probably was not any different from the new lake created. I think it was short sighted to abandon the canal, it could have linked the lake to the Thames for pleasure uses, but timber and refuse could have continued to have been transported if the desire was there and to reduced road transport.

By: Andrew Pearson

Andrew Pearson — Fri, 15 May 2020 09:28:24 +0000

In reply to Alan Long. Here's how it looked in 1913 (now the area of the BMX track)

By: Alan Long

Alan Long — Thu, 14 May 2020 04:10:40 +0000

I was born and brought up in Harling Street and just round the corner from Wells Way Bridge and lived through the Blitz. We used to fish in Surrey Canal for redthroats and stickleback fish. They were small fish. The canal never saw much trade during the war although there was the odd barge full with timber. On the canal bank there were cottages and chalk pits owned by Jennings. Harling Street was L-shaped but with a short extension on the elbow which backed onto these chalk pits.

By: Robert Martin

Robert Martin — Sun, 03 Mar 2019 03:16:15 +0000

It’s great to see an article on the Surrey Canal and that the remains are being put to good use. Also I was glad that the local children could be made aware of what used to pass near to where they lived. I loved the list of their names, they were so unusual and I couldn’t have even dreamt them up, they showed that every one was a different individual and should be looked upon so.
I used to live in North London and sometimes ventured to South London and saw the demise of the Grand Surrey Canal and often wondered what use it had been put to. I’m glad that it is being put to educating children and get them use their imaginations.