Joined by explorer Sam, we ventured into a culvert running through a suburban town on the border of south-east London and Kent. This drain, covered likely in the post-war period along much of its length, was created from a historic river which ran to the River Thames. Originally it was a ditch running through fields, as much of greater London was surprisingly once rural in nature. However, as developments occurred, sections were covered, although some still remain open to the outside air. The first sections to be covered in the Victorian Era were those running under railways, visible as the brick arched sections which ran under a railway line and train station. The rest was likely covered throughout the 20th century as more above-ground development took place. We diverged and ventured through an eastern offshoot of the river to follow its path, although this section eventually became extremely claustrophobic with no sign of nearing an end. After stooping for miles underground, we decided to head back.
