Entrance to the Fleet River, Samuel Scott, c. 1750.

The mouth of the River Fleet today, underneath Blackfriars Bridge

The River Fleet is the largest of London's subterranean rivers. It formerly flowed on the surface. It rises from two springs on Hampstead Heath and is directed into two reservoirs constructed in the 18th century, Highgate Ponds and Hampstead Ponds. From the ponds the water flows underground for 4 miles to join the River Thames. The higher reaches of this flow were known as the Holbourne (or Oldbourne [1]), whence Holborn derived its name. The water initially flows in two paths before joining up and passing under Kentish Town and Kings Cross. Kings Cross was originally named Battle Bridge, referring to an ancient bridge over The Fleet where Boudica is said to have fought an important battle against the Romans. The river then runs down Farringdon Road and Farringdon Street, and joins the Thames beneath Blackfriars Bridge. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x1070, 254 KB) Description: Title: de: Einfahrt zum Fleet River Technique: de: Öl auf Holz Dimensions: de: 58,5 × 112 cm Country of origin: de: Großbritanien Current location (city): de: London Current location (gallery): de: Guildhall Art Gallery Other notes... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x1070, 254 KB) Description: Title: de: Einfahrt zum Fleet River Technique: de: Öl auf Holz Dimensions: de: 58,5 × 112 cm Country of origin: de: Großbritanien Current location (city): de: London Current location (gallery): de: Guildhall Art Gallery Other notes... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 1. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... The subterranean or underground rivers of London are the tributaries of the River Thames and River Lea that were built over during the growth of the metropolis of London. ... The source of a river, usually a lake or a spring, is the farthest point of a river from its estuary or confluence with another river. ... A natural spring on Mackinac Island in Michigan. ... Hampstead Heath (locally known as The Heath) is a public open space in the north of London. ... View of Highgate, John Constable, 1st quarter of 19th century. ... Hampstead Ponds are three large freshwater swimming ponds — two designated single sex, and one for mixed bathing — fed by the River Fleet in Hampstead Heath, England. ... The Thames (pronounced //) is a river flowing through southern England, and one of the major waterways in England. ... Holborn (pronounced ho-bun or ho-burn) is a place in London, named after a tributary to the river Fleet that flowed through the area, the Hole-bourne (the stream in the hollow). ... Kentish Town is a place in London in the London Borough of Camden. ... Kings Cross is an place in the London Borough of Camden. ... Statue of Boudica near Westminster Pier, London, with her two daughters upon a chariot Boudica (also spelled Boudicca, formerly better known as Boadicea) (d. ... Farringdon Road is a road in Central London. ... Blackfriars Bridge with St Pauls Cathedral behind Blackfriars Bridge viewed from upstream, looking south Blackfriars Bridge, seen from Waterloo Bridge. ...

Its name comes from the Anglo-Saxon Holburna = "hollow stream", referring to its deep valley, and flēot = "estuary." In Anglo-Saxon times, the Fleet served as a dock for shipping. Note: This page contains phonetic information presented in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) using Unicode. ... A dock is an area of water between two piers or alongside a pier, forming a chamber used for building or repairing one ship. ... Damaged package The Panama canal. ...

In Anglo-Saxon times, the Fleet was a substantial body of water, joining the Thames through a marshy tidal basin over 100 yards wide at the mouth of the Fleet Valley. A large number of wells were built along its banks, and some on springs (Bagnigge Well, Clerkenwell) were reputed to have healing qualities. As London grew, the river became increasingly a sewer. By the 13th century, it was considered polluted, and the area was given over to poor-quality housing, and, later, prisons (Newgate, Fleet and Ludgate prisons were all built in that area). The flow of the river was greatly reduced by increasing industry. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Cable tool water well drilling rig in Kimball, West Virginia. ... Clerkenwell (pronounced clarkenwell) is a locality in the southermost part of the London Borough of Islington. ... A sewer is an artificial conduit or system of conduits used to remove sewage (human liquid waste) and to provide drainage. ... Old Newgate Prison, which was replaced in the 18th century. ... Pray remember ye poor debtors: inmates of the Fleet Prison beg passers by for alms. ...

Following the Great Fire of London in 1666, Christopher Wren proposed widening the river; however, this was rejected. Rather, the Fleet was converted into the New Canal, completed in 1680. Old Seacoal Lane (now just a short alley off Farringdon Street) recalls the wharves that used to line this canal. Unpopular and unused, the canal was filled in from 1737. The river survived slightly longer: The section from Holborn to Fleet Street was channelled below the surface when the canal was filled, with the section to the river covered by 1765. The development of the Regent's Canal and urban growth covered the river in Kings Cross and Camden from 1812. The Farringdon Road section was built over again in the 1860s with the construction of the Metropolitan Railway, while the final upper section of the river was covered when Hampstead was expanded in the 1870s. Detail of painting from 1666 of the Great Fire of London by an unknown artist, depicting the fire as it would have appeared on the evening of Tuesday, 4 September from a boat in the vicinity of Tower Wharf. ... Sir Christopher Wren, (20 October 1632–25 February 1723) was a 17th century English designer, astronomer, geometrician, and the greatest English architect of his time. ... Holborn (pronounced ho-bun or ho-burn) is a place in London, named after a tributary to the river Fleet that flowed through the area, the Hole-bourne (the stream in the hollow). ... Fleet Street in 2005 Fleet Street is a famous street in London, England, named after the River Fleet. ... The Regents Canal is a canal across an area just to the north of central London. ... Camden Town is an area of north London in the London Borough of Camden. ... Farringdon Road is a road in Central London. ... London Transport Portal The Metropolitan Line is part of the London Underground, coloured violet on the Tube map. ...

In the 1970s, the river gave its name to a planned London Underground tube line which was to run alongside the route of the former river but, prior to opening and in honour of the Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977, the name was changed from Fleet Line to Jubilee Line and the route changed. The London Underground is an all-electric railway system that covers much of Greater London and some neighbouring areas. ... Look up Tube in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... A Silver Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 25th anniversary. ... The Jubilee Line is a line on the London Underground, coloured silver grey on the Tube map. ...

The Fleet can be heard through a grating in Ray Street, Farringdon (EC1) [2] in front of the Coach and Horses pub. The position of the river can still be seen in the surrounding streetscape with Ray Street and its continuation Warner Street lying in a valley where the river once flowed. It can also be heard through a grid in the centre of Charterhouse Street where it joins Farringdon Road (on the Smithfield side of the junction).

In fiction

The River Fleet features in a serial from the BBC series Doctor Who entitled The Talons of Weng-Chiang, starring Tom Baker. In one episode, the Doctor claims he once caught a large salmon in the Fleet, which he shared with the Venerable Bede. It also features in Neal Stephenson's novel The System of the World and in The Horn of Mortal Danger by Lawrence Leonard. Doctor Who is a long-running British science fiction television programme (and 1996 television movie) produced by the BBC about the adventures of a mysterious time-traveller known as the Doctor, who explores time and space with his companions, solving problems and righting wrongs. ... The Talons of Weng-Chiang is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from February 26 to April 2, 1977. ... For other persons named Tom Baker, see Tom Baker (disambiguation). ... Illustration of a male Coho Salmon The Chinook or King Salmon is the largest salmon in North America and can grow to 1. ... Bede, commonly known as the Venerable Bede, (c. ... Neal Town Stephenson (born October 31, 1959) is an American writer, known primarily for his science fiction works in the postcyberpunk genre with a penchant for explorations of society, mathematics, currency, and the history of science. ... The System of the World, a novel by Neal Stephenson, forms the third volume in The Baroque Cycle. ... The Horn of Mortal Danger is a 1980 novel by British musician Lawrence Leonard. ... Lawrence Leonard (born August 23, 1923, died January 4, 2001), British conductor, cellist, composer, teacher and writer. ...

See also

• Subterranean rivers of London
• Rivers of the United Kingdom

The subterranean or underground rivers of London are the tributaries of the River Thames and River Lea that were built over during the growth of the metropolis of London. ... This is a list of rivers of Great Britain. ...

External links

• Sub-Urban.com — River Fleet visit
• Sub-Urban.com — River Fleet visit II
• Bath University "The River of Wells"
• Map of River Fleet superimposed over map of modern London
• [3]