2012-03-18 - London's Famous Subterranean London

So a while back there was a spate of underground tags in the Bicycle Tag of Bike thread:

http://www.lfgss.com/thread38155-109.htm­l
http://www.lfgss.com/thread38155-111.htm­l

And we thought we might try a join a few up of them up into a ride. So here it is: London’s Famous Subterranean London – a BToB spin-off ride.

Final details below. Route is pretty much finalised (although there are a few twists and turns I couldn't edit out on RIde with GPS). The plan is to set off from the Flask at 1pm on Sunday 18 March. We’ll follow the course of the Fleet down to the Thames, with a pint in the Blackfriars, then looping up to a few spots north of the river including the underground city at Kingsway and London’s last underground road. We’ll the head south to visit the Camberwell submarine and the deep-level tube stations at Stockwell and Clapham North, to end at the Effra Tavern.
http://ridewithgps.com/users/63213/route­s

Back of background on some of the places we're planning to visit further down the thread:
http://www.lfgss.com/post2721944-120.htm­l

Who's in?

1. KT Bee
   
2. Oat 44
   

Oh this looks great, I'll put my name down.

1. KT Bee
   
2. Oat 44
   
3. harold
   

1. KT Bee
   
2. Oat 44
   
3. Harold
   
4. Cupcakes
   
   
   
   
   
   

Oh, awesome. I'm so in. Sure I can come up with some more suggestions, but my brain isn't working right now... I'll sleep on it.

oh drat.. i'll be int yorkshire dales that weekend.. have fun

1. KT Bee
   
2. Oat 44
   
3. Harold
   
4. Cupcakes
   
5. Bobbo
   
   

Sounds interesting.

Fantastic idea.

[ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Underground-Lond­on-Travels-Beneath-Streets/dp/0349115656­/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328310526&sr=8-­1"]Underground London: Travels Beneath the City Streets: Amazon.co.uk: Stephen Smith: 9780349115658: Books[/ame]

[ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/London-Under-Pet­er-Ackroyd/dp/0701169915/ref=sr_1_2?ie=U­TF8&qid=1328310526&sr=8-2"]London Under: Amazon.co.uk: Peter Ackroyd: 9780701169916: Books[/ame]

[ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Londons-Disused-­Underground-Stations-Connor/dp/185414250­X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1328310526&sr=8­-3"]London's Disused Underground Stations: Amazon.co.uk: J.E. Connor: Books[/ame]

[ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Undergrou­nd-London-Nick-Catford/dp/0956440576/ref­=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328310623&sr=8-1"]S­ecret Underground London: Amazon.co.uk: Nick Catford: Books[/ame]

I'm off to a lecture about bricks on the thursday just before this. 'masonry, the coy mistress'*. Then this ride on the weekend. It's gonna be a whirlwind few days...

*yes, really.

1. KT Bee
   
2. Oat 44
   
3. Harold
   
4. Cupcakes
   
5. Bobbo
   
6. middleofnowhere
   

Great idea, Katie. Sadly, I won't be in London on that day. Have fun!

Definitely in! Wouldn't mind a longer route with more locations either.

1. KT Bee
   
2. Oat 44
   
3. Harold
   
4. Cupcakes
   
5. Bobbo
   
6. middleofnowhere
   
7. Danns
   

Can't wait for this. I love a bit of a history.

1. KT Bee
   
2. Oat 44
   
3. Harold
   
4. Cupcakes
   
5. Bobbo
   
6. middleofnowhere
   
7. Danns
   
8. roboto
   

In. Very.

1. KT Bee
   
2. Oat 44
   
3. Harold
   
4. Cupcakes
   
5. Bobbo
   
6. middleofnowhere
   
7. Danns
   
8. roboto
   
9. Sparky
   

Great so many people are interested! #feelingthepressure

Very happy to extend the ride - we did have grand plans to go out to the Wandle in Wandsworth, then go back north via Westbourne / Tyburn - but were worried it might be overkill. Alternatively we could loop out east to Brunel's tunnels. All suggestions welcome (I just got lazy because the Effra is near home).

Al / Oliver - sorry you can't make it. Am sure there is material for many more BToB spin-offs.

I should say that Nick is the creative mind behind this ... I just drew a slightly wiggly line between the places he suggested.

1. KT Bee
   
2. Oat 44
   
3. Harold
   
4. Cupcakes
   
5. Bobbo
   
6. middleofnowhere
   
7. Danns
   
8. roboto
   
9. Sparky
   
10. dogpants
    
    

This sounds amazing! Would love to do it.
Effra good for me too ;)

So you nicked his idea.

So you nicked his idea.

I facilitated it, Oliver, I facilitated it.

1. KT Bee
   
2. Oat 44
   
3. Harold
   
4. Cupcakes
   
5. Bobbo
   
6. middleofnowhere
   
7. Danns
   
8. roboto
   
9. Sparky
   
10. dogpants
    
11. ChainBreaker (enjoys london history as cool as this!)
    

I facilitated it, Oliver, I facilitated it.

Yes, a nick is a facility, but just what do you mean?

Woohoo definitly in. well done for organising. Will add name to list when near computer unless someone will do it for me.

Clapham has 3 deep shelters, so could extend right down to south (currently undergoing construction work)

Shoe Lane - Bazalgette era utility tunnels, also a bike rickshaw company run out of part of one of them

River westbourne, perhaps where the serpentine overflows into it?

Any number of disused stations... already passing south kentish town, close to snow hill, king william st, aldwych.

Aquarius golf club in brixton - built on top of an underground reservoir, now linked into the thames water ring main

Churchill Gardens district heating (tunnels across the river to battersea powerstation)

Just a few suggestions, haven't considered how they'll work with the route yet. Might think up some more over the weekend.

1. KT Bee
   
2. Oat 44
   
3. Harold
   
4. Cupcakes
   
5. Bobbo
   
6. middleofnowhere
   
7. Danns
   
8. roboto
   
9. Sparky
   
10. dogpants
    
11. ChainBreaker (enjoys hugs and london history as cool as this!)
    
12. skydancer
    

happy days
Thanks roboto

1. KT Bee
   
2. Oat 44
   
3. Harold
   
4. Cupcakes
   
5. Bobbo
   
6. middleofnowhere
   
7. Danns
   
8. roboto
   
9. Sparky
   
10. dogpants
    
11. ChainBreaker (enjoys hugs and london history as cool as this!)
    
12. skydancer
    
13. whatok
    
    

In of course.. pending bicycle being complete by then.

N1!

1. KT Bee
   
2. Oat 44
   
3. Harold*
   
4. Cupcakes
   
5. Bobbo*
   
6. middleofnowhere
   
7. Danns
   
8. roboto
   
9. Sparky
   
10. dogpants
    
11. ChainBreaker (enjoys hugs and london history as cool as this!)
    
12. skydancer
    
13. whatok
    
14. PP
    
    

Sounds awesome!