The River Effra imbues South London.

Descending from high points along the ridge of hills at Crystal Palace, Norwood and Sydenham, it comes together as a single stream at Thurlow Park, idles eastward through Dulwich and Herne Hill, heads north through Brixton, circumnavigates Kennington Oval and drops into the Thames at Vauxhall, covering a huge amount of territory in what is little more than an eight-mile course.

This illustrated talk will map its course, consider its earlier history above ground, look in particular at some of the local Dulwich connections, explain its disappearance within the context of Bazalgette's main drainage works of the 1860s and, despite all that has been done to it, try and account for its curious and enduring presence today.

About the Speaker

Jon Newman is a writer and archivist who works in and writes about South London. As well as uncovering the histories of the area's watercourses, his most recent book, Sunset Over Herne Hill, John Ruskin and South London, was published by the Herne Hill Society, 2021.

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