Look around you. This seemingly ordinary bridge has a history that stretches back to a time when canals were the lifeblood of London. The Surrey Canal Bridge stands as a testament to London’s industrial past. Today it stands in Burgess Park. It offers a glimpse into a time when waterways were essential to commerce.
The story of the Surrey Canal Bridge begins with the Grand Surrey Canal. The canal was one of London’s most ambitious canal projects. Work started in 1801. Engineer Ralph Dodd proposed this bold plan in 1799. He envisioned a canal from the Thames at Rotherhithe south to Deptford. It would then turn west through the park to Kennington and south to Mitcham in Surrey.
An Act of Parliament gave the go-ahead in 1801. Within 50 years, the canal was a thriving industrial artery. It significantly impacted this part of London. The Grand Surrey Canal served market gardeners and farmers. It helped them transport their produce for sale. It became an extension of the Surrey Docks at the Thames in Rotherhithe.
Wharves lined almost the entire length of the canal banks. Goods were processed in factories. Warehouses stored them. They were loaded onto road transport in yards and depots. The 1801 Act of Parliament set rates for goods transport. It provides an interesting look at the goods transported. Freestone, limestone, chalk and bricks were common. Slates, tiles, corn in the straw, hay and straw were transported too. Faggots, dung, manure, stones and clay were also moved. The canal also carried cattle, calves, sheep and swine. Lime, rough timber, hemp and tin were transported. Iron-stone, pig-iron and pig-lead were also common cargo. Coal, charcoal, coke and culm were important. Flour, wheat, barley, oats, beans, peas, malt and potatoes completed the list. Hops, fruit, goods, wares and merchandise were transported as well.
Kids would ride the empty barges east. They would climb from barge to barge. Horse-drawn barges sometimes offered rides. Swimming was common when the Bank Ranger was not around.
By the 1930s, motor traffic overtook the canals. The Surrey Docks declined by the 1960s. The canal became polluted and neglected. Several child-drowning accidents occurred. In 1960, the ‘killer canal’ was drained and filled west of Wells Way. Few objected when the eastern section and the Peckham branch followed suit in the early 1970s.
The Surrey Canal’s main traffic was large sailing barges. These were not the usual canal narrowboats. The Thames sailing barge was common. They were on the River Thames and the Thames Estuary in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Originally wooden, the barges later used steel. They were about 90 feet long and 20 feet wide. The hull was mostly for cargo. There were small living areas in the bow and stern. The flat-bottomed barges could float in 3 feet of water. This made them ideal for canals. They could navigate small rivers and creeks. They traveled around the coast of Britain. They used the open sea and the River Thames. The barges then used the Surrey Canal. This allowed goods to make the entire journey without trans-shipment.
The barges had two masts with four sails. Red ochre and cod oil waterproofed them. The masts were lowered inland. Horses or local boys towed the barges. They passed under low bridges to Camberwell and Peckham. Later, some barges had engines. Sailing barges could reach speeds over 12 knots in good conditions. Cargoes included bricks, mud and hay. Bibles, lemonade, ice, sand, coal and refuse were also common. A two-person crew sufficed for most voyages. Around 1900, over 2000 barges were registered. By 1970, they had almost disappeared.
Today, the Surrey Canal Bridge is a reminder of the past. It is also known as the Bridge to Nowhere. The line where the canal ran is the central walkway through Burgess Park. Follow it from Camberwell through the underpass, beneath the bridge, to Glengall Gardens. This was once a canal basin. Barges could turn to and from Peckham here. The Bridge to Nowhere stands as a reminder of the Grand Surrey Canal. It is a reminder of its importance to London’s industrial heritage.