Forum Topic

River/stream under Griffin Park??

Does anyone know if there is any truth in the rumour of a river/stream/brook that runs under Griffin Park?? I know the site was once an orchard owned by Fuller smith and Turner,was there a waterway to irrigate the orchard? Perhaps nearby BROOK ROAD ? has something to do with it? I have read the book,LOST RIVERS OF LONDON,but no mention of any waterway under Griffin Park,can anyone shed any light? Thanks,Bill.

Bill Drinkwater ● 7431d19 Comments

BIll,I'll try and scan the section from the 100 years of Griffin Park. If you have the time go to the Local Studies section at either Chiswick or Hounslow Library and ask to see the 1865 Ordnance Survey map. It clearly show the "Brook".

Neil Chippendale ● 7414d

Yeah,i think Dell Boy Drinkwater has a nice ring to it!!

Bill Drinkwater ● 7414d

I used to live in Brook road south and when I was only 10-11 years old the road collapsed and you could see the brook running under the road that was in1956/7.The part that collapsed was between Mafakin avenue and Grovenor road out side no's 29/30

William Read ● 7414d

Hey BILL, just thought of a good little earner...you could sink a small borehole into the stream, bottle the water and sell it as "Agua minerale con Brentford"! :-o

Gerry Tan ● 7414d

Thanks for all the replies on this subject,would be very interested to know if any drawings/prints etc exist of the brook.Bill

Bill Drinkwater ● 7414d

I think the stream used to run along the bottoms of the gardens on the west side of Brook Road South (Hence Brook Road).

Paul Higgs ● 7416d

The 1865 OS map has it titled "The Brook"., ie Brook Rd North/South.From p.13 of the 100 Yeras of Griffin Park.

Neil Chippendale ● 7423d

Is there a name for this river/stream anyone?

Bill Drinkwater ● 7424d

It runs down Brook Rd Sth,through Lateward Rd under the Recreation Ground/St Pauls Park & flows into the Thames behind the ''Heidleberg'' building.

Kevin Farnan ● 7430d

Ah, there's romantic for you! ;-)

Gerry Tan ● 7430d

Fascinating stuff,thanks for all your replies.If i close my eyes i can almost picture this lovely little stream meandering through Brentford!

Bill Drinkwater ● 7430d

This I found in ‘British History Online’, Ealing and Brentford: Introduction. A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume VII, T.F.T. Baker (Editor) (1982). website: www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=22572#n8 which refers to a stream along Brook Road.“Two streams, later hidden by housing, ran southward on either side of Ealing village in the mid 19th century. The easterly one, from water in the grounds of Elm Grove, fed some small ponds in the fields east of South Ealing Road and larger ones near Clayponds Lane before flowing under Brentford High Street to the Thames. The westerly stream ran from Castlebar Hill east of Northfield Avenue to Little Ealing, where it fed ponds at Ealing Park; farther south it followed the line of Brook Road before passing under Brentford High Street and entering the Thames near Ferry Lane. (Footnote 8) 8O.S. Maps 6", Mdx. XV. NE., SE., XVI. NW., SW., XX. NE., XXI. NW. (1873 and later edns.); Bacon, Atlas of Lond. (1886); Gtr. Ealing Local Hist. Soc. Broadsheet, 10 Oct. 1960."

Duncan Walker ● 7430d

Interesting topic and some great informative responses!North of Challis Road and Brooke Road North...is the higher ground on Little Ealing Lane. Water over the years must have poured down from there...and you can see that adjoining one road is called RadBOURNE xxxx and the next road along is called BirkBECK xxx. I wonder if Bernadette hears the water rumbling underground near home...which we believe is in the catchment area?

Jim Lawes ● 7431d

There is a stream/river in the vicinity, apparantly in the basement of the old Alfa Laval building they have a pump that shifts many hundreds of thousands of gallons of "ground" water into the local sewers. Also if you walk across from Brook Road North to Enfield Walk you can hear the water rushing under a manhole cover as you cross Challis Road. Whether the water actually flows under the football ground itself I don't know.

Simon Foster ● 7431d

The 1865 OS map shows the Brook Stream running along Brook Rd, but if I remember its on the other side of the rd not the Griffin Park side.Ring Carolyn Hammond at Chiswick Library, the great local historian, before she retires she shouls be able to tell you.When the club built the Brook Rd stand they managed is disrupt the water table and all the basements of the houses behind the ground were flooded, including my house. We ended up with a lovelly concreted basement paid for by the insurance.

Neil Chippendale ● 7431d

Jim I'd imagine that when this land was farmed, there would have been natural and man made waterways all over the place. I bet we'd be amazed at what the land looked like then if only we could get access to maps of the time.

Gareth Evans ● 7431d

When we were discussing the big puddles in Windmill Road North...someone helpfully mentioned that an old pond was located somewhere near the junction with Darwin Road.I'm sure there were several baby streams running from the higher levels of Brentford (north of the Great West Road)..down to the riverbanks.I like the Brook Road thought.

Jim Lawes ● 7431d

Bill I don't know if it will help but there may be some images of old maps of the area somewhere on the internet or sources of such maps. These may give an indication of waterways of old.

Gareth Evans ● 7431d

BillIf you go to the Hounslow or Chiswick Public Libraries, they both have an excellent History section that should be able to give you the answers you require.It is advisable to phone first as these sections are only open on certain days.Hope this helps.

Paul Allen ● 7431d