Tuesday, May 02, 2023

John Rogers goes in search of the lost rivers of Leyton

John's blurb on YouTube says:

This walk follows a scent of clue in a correspondence about some mysterious underground rivers running through Leyton that link to local folklore. 

So we head to Leyton High Road then down towards the Leyton Orient Ground at Brisbane Road where one of the rivers may be buried. We then explore the other watercourses which link to the Roman occupation of Leyton. 

Our East London walking tour then goes along Church Road Leyton to Etloe House where another hidden river may run before crossing Leyton High Road and going along Markhouse Road to St James's Street Walthamstow. 

Turning into Coppermill Lane we pick up the course of the Dagenham Brook to Blackhorse Road Station and the new development of apartments around Vanguard Way. Finally we walk along Blackhorse Lane looking for signs of the Higham Hill Brook at Blackhorse Yard.

The walk begins at Leyton cricket ground, which was the headquarters and principal ground of Essex County Cricket Club from 1886 until 1933. It was used again by Esses between 1957 and 1977.

Despite what John says, it has never hosted a test match, but in 1932 Yorkshire's opening pair Percy Holmes and Herbert Sutcliffe put on 555, which was for many years the record first wicket partnership in first class cricket.

John has a Patreon account to support his videos and blogs at The Lost Byway.

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