Could this tranquil expanse of water really have been the site of a major engineering mishap? This is the William Girling Reservoir, a vital part of London’s water supply. It all began in the 1930s, with a plan to build a reservoir to quench London’s growing thirst. The William Girling Reservoir, named after a chairman of the Metropolitan Water Board, was part of this grand scheme. Construction was moving swiftly, thanks to new-fangled machinery like bulldozers and mechanical scrapers. But then disaster struck. In 1937, a section of the partly built embankment at the north-west corner simply collapsed. Thankfully, this happened before the reservoir was filled. Experts were called in, investigations were launched and it was this very mishap that birthed modern soil mechanics in Britain. The design was tweaked, construction resumed after a wartime pause and finally, in 1951, the William Girling Reservoir was opened. Today, while Londoners sip their water, few realize the drama that unfolded right here, where the William Girling Reservoir now stands as a testament to engineering ingenuity and resilience.
Southfields Methodist Church
Curiosity stirred within the heart of Southfields as a new chapter began. Southfields Methodist Church held its first public service