Sydenham Town Forum

I've just had an interesting email... ...it may be possible to get access to the site of the boat yard inlet and the reed bed sections of the canal in Devonshire rd nature reserve, for a bit of a root about..if you're interested, Falkor.... I am particularly intrighued by what my be extant where the...

Good job, Will! I still plan to check how accurate your section is on Anerley using the 1837 enclosure map + 1852 Crystal Palace Estate map. Cheers Falkor. Indeed! both this section and the New Cross section still need work... and then theres the croydon end... but a pictutre is certainly developin...

...printing error...it was 570 feet!
the swing bridge at Vesta Rd
........but he does still seem to be describing that image....a bit confusing this one.
It could be at the top of the railway cutting behind Vesta Rd...thsi is more likely, I reckon.

ah!
maybe not.....

I was adding the swing bridges to the map, prompted by the last post, when I found this reference to a cottage at the site of the black and white photo of the possible lock keepers cottage. at least this seems to suggest it was a canal property. To quote from p.116 of the Ken White book; "...An...

Hi I've just updated the Google Earth map with some of the images from this post, along with placemarks etc... ..and I reckon the Honor Oak locks are much more accurate this time (I'm sure there'll be some debate about my choice of siting, but thats part of the fun, eh?) http://maps.google.com/maps/...

...just a spot of colouring in really...
it looks fairly idyllic round the canal all those years ago....

Many thanks for those new books Falkor.
should keep me busy for a bit.

(I hope this image works...just a slight update to the original)

I hope this works..see what you think)

i'm in somerset...but my mum lives in Forest Hill so thats not a problem... (my digging abilities may be diminished due to a cracked rib etc, but if we can sort it for late february or so...that'd be wonderful.) ....gives us time to get the measurements as close as possible too. email me when you ha...

...oh...and if we do find a roman villa above the 19th century lock.................

aah! Now you're talking! If you reckon we could get away with it, I'm well up for such a venture. (If you set it it up, i'll head up to london...) I'm pretty sure we could locate all the locks in situ, but only locks 23 - 24 look diggable, (but 24 seems to be in the cemetary.)...part of lock 22 may ...

This is good news. Well done, Falkor!. as for the 3d map......I've been measuring the locks into place, and I'm about to start adding wharves etc... (check here for latest ; http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=109527490985927244038.0004443c4657286508e5b&ll=51.4414...

This is brilliant stuff, Falkor. I was looking at the picture of what is supposed to be the top lock. It only has 2 sets of gates, instead of 3, and the swing bridge is straight over..... if there was a lockkeepers cottage at brockley road, this is more likely to be where the photo was taken from. s...

Hi
I believe it is accomadation for competitors, a kind of 'Olympic village', but from a more modest age.

thanks.
maps.live is similar to virtual earth....(but it does run on firefox...and not exclusively on IE...so thats a plus.)
the elevation rendering is much better in VE...perhaps it can be mapped into that at some point...then the roll of the hills and embankements can be added..

Falkor, would it be possible to get pages 120 - 121 of that very useful book? I've mapped the locks from 28 down to 11 at endwell rd...there are a few places where the measurements may be out...but that can be adjusted. There are quite a few interesting signs still apparent in the landscape as you s...

This is interesting!
I cant see any sign of a lock keepers cottage at the brockley rd bridgeon the maps...but this certainly looks right....on the site of the crematorium, I reckon.

I'll make a start on the rest of the route to croydon later..
i have quite a lot of old maps of the deptford end, from a different project, so i can be pretty clear up to newcross gate station, where the cutting starts..
I shall enjoy reading that booklet later.
many thanks
W

brilliant!
thanks for that.
Yes, canals hare a standard 'keel' cross section, with a narrow channel running allong the middle..the 'swim'...keeps the boat moving straight, even round bends.
i'm just posting the amended ocks on google earth
thanks again
W

yep! I reckon you're right! I've added the amendments you suggested... I'll try to add the locks and bridges later... I found this regarding the dimensions..can you confirm these? 'The canal was built to be 34 feet (10 m) wide. It had a maximum depth of 5 feet (1.5 m). By 1811 there were 22 barges o...