In the late 1700s, a canal was mooted to slice through South East London, a means for transporting timber and limestone which arrived on the Thames from all corners of the world. While it never stretched as far as Epsom (or even Portsmouth!) as was originally intended, by 1809 the Grand Surrey Canal reached Camberwell. And in 1826 it was extended to Peckham.

This new passage brought with it a wave of industry, which saw cement factories and sawmills crop up all along its path. But it also welcomed different kinds of infrastructures – dog racing tracks, football stadiums, railway tracks and more. A number of celebrated housing estates were built near the canal, such as the famous Pepys Estate, a showcase GLC project.

Throughout its life, the Grand Surrey Canal never quite lived up to its promise of speedy and efficient connections from the Thames to South London. Road transport became a major competitor to the canal, and its traffic dwindled. By the 1970s, it lay unused – covered up in places, pools of smelly stagnant water elsewhere. It was finally drained and disappeared from view. But the culture that blossoms along this route today can be attributed to the urban fabric the canal left in its wake.

While the canal is long gone, its presence is still very legible on the landscape. A seam of industry has been given way to a seam of parkland, waste treatment facilities, artists, builders, carpenters, and new homes. The Northern end of the canal has become the Russia Dock Woodland, while copy/paste blocks of flats adorn the area near Plough Way. Surrey Canal Road is home to SE London’s “silicon valley of waste” as well as countless workshops and studios, underground nightclubs, a football stadium, and a knot of railway lines. The megastores and gas holders of Old Kent Road give way to the wonderful Burgess Park, where industry has become green space for the enjoyment of all. And at the end of the spur to Peckham sits the Stirling Prize winning Peckham Library. But storm clouds are forming…

As is the case across the city, this corner of South East London is being eyed up by real-estate speculators, keen to ride the wave of construction and make a quick buck. But what is at stake of being lost? And whose voices are at threat of being drowned out? The Old Kent Road Opportunity Area, and the Surrey Canal Triangle are facing the construction of luxury high-rise blocks – but what about those who currently live and work in these places? And what does a future green city look like with regards to housing, waste, transport and culture? This tour digs deeper into these questions and provide an opportunity to discuss how they might be tackled.

This is a cycling tour, with regular stops for conversation. Please make sure you are able to cycle at a leisurely pace for a couple of hours. We will be on segregated bike lanes throughout, and will get off to walk when we reach roads. If you are interested in doing a shorter route on foot, please get in touch and we will see what's possible based on demand.