Walking one of the Great London Rivers: the River Brent (4K)
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- Опубликовано: 23 апр 2023
- A walk along the River Brent from Brent Cross to Western Avenue, London. Our walk starts at Brent Cross with a detour to Brent Cross Shopping Centre. The we follow the River Brent south along the North Circular Road to Neasden and the Brent Reservoir. Passing through Wembley and Stonebridge Park we see the famous Ace Cafe and Neasden Tube Depot and walk beneath the Grand Union Canal. The final stretch of our walk goes through Alperton to the A40 Western Avenue. Watch the rest of the walk along the River Brent from Perivale to Brentford in this video • The Wonders of the Cap...
Related videos:
A stroll along the Dollis Brook • A stroll along the Dol...
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FYI - the canal feeder and the whole Welsh Harp were created to supply the Regent's Canal via the last stretch of the Grand Union Paddington Arm. It comes onto the GU canal beside the McVitie's works just by Harlesden station.
Neasden Depot was the main train building works for the Metropolitan Railway (see Tim Dunn's Secrets of the Underground) - and the trains went to Chesham, Aylesbury, and Quainton, hence all had roads named after those destinations.
Thanks so much for those notes Martin
Only John Rogers can create such an interesting video in such a dull and unteresting part of London. Well done.
This is too depressing. I grew up on the Shirehall estate and remember when they started building the Brent Cross shopping centre. I learnt the meaning of the word "flyover" and gradually the end of Shirehall Lane disappeared into noisy construction. Brent Cross station was then called Brent Station and we used to get lost trying to make our way across Hendon Way. The River Brent - Dollis Brook flowed cleanly through to Finchley. All was completely different then. So much for progress. .
On the surface you made a video about a river. What I find particularly interesting is your philosophical approach to modern society. Mentioning the possibility that shopping centres might appear and then disappear within one generation is a very interesting point of view. Thank you very much for your stimulating input.
Best regards, Udo from Germany
Thanks Udo
Another great video! Being an American, I have to keep a dictionary by my side while I watch so that I can catch those British sayings. Today's word to look up was "fly-tipping." Love it!
The jet in the window was a British Hawker Hunter, from the 1960's. Are the rats on the River Bent are getting bigger, or the beavers are getting smaller? Water Voles are very rare in London, if you want to see one in London go to the Wetland Centre in Barnes. Talking of Barnes there is a lovely Beverly Brook to see, and not one shopping trolley in sight, and possibly the odd Water Vole.
My heart sinks to see such dirt, pollution, neglect. A sad lack of pride or hope. A wake up call. Needs to be seen though.
Having lived in Brent 1987-96 numerous reminiscences come into focus on this one. Just the brutality of the roads, buildings and environment is astonishing to me now. We skirt and struggle our way through these places, echoing the course of the river.
I love the structured/ unstructured nature of these walks, it makes for unique content you simply can not get elsewhere. As a qualified historian this type of video engages me on many levels, it's entertaining, informative and above all full of different historical perspectives. Great work John
As a young scout I used to paddle canoes on the Welsh Harp from the boathouse buy the bridge on Cool Oak Lane. I have fished in the reservoir as well & I lived in Herbert Road Hendon for a few years (1956-60) before moving to Kingsbury. Many years ago there used to be a rubbish dump / landfill on what is now part of Silver Jubilee Park near the reservoir. That was a treasure trove for us young lads. Bike frames, mopeds & all sorts of other stuff which we found & recycled for our own use. Brent Cross shopping centre was a regular destination as well.
As an East London Boy it was good to have an interesting look at West London, Thanks John.
I don't feel so bad about East London now after watching this video. Stratford was a neglected shithole once. Theres still hope for Brent Cross.
There's a real sense of liberation when the River Brent breaks free of the concrete and rubbish, and we're in The Welsh Harp Reservoir bit.. I always feel that rivers are saying "see? This is what I'm SUPPOSED to be like"..
I'm not so familiar with this bit of London, so really interesting! There don't seem to be many pubs in this area, not surprising perhaps since it's built for driving.. Nice one John! 🌟👍
@JohnRogersWalks Thank you so much for this. I'm a local resident from the Brent Cross area and am in touch with one of the managers from the shopping centre. I sent him this video and it prompted him and his team to have a clean-up of the river in the area. So far they've removed 36 trolleys, 6 lime bikes plus lots of other stuff. Still more work to do but it's a good start, so thanks for being the catalyst for this.
I don't think this walk will ever catch on. Once the River Brent flowed through a peaceful, rural landscape. Now it finds itself flowing through urban decay, with massive roads everywhere creating air pollution, and who knows what is discharged into the river.
I have to say that Brent Cross looks like an unlovely part of London. All those roads over & under eachother. It was nice to get the river views when possible. The viaduct is lovely !
The fly tipping is so sad. And trash tends to begat more trash. We are having our annual “ love your river “ day soon where we collect trash from the banks of the Santa Fe river. But it is never ending. We have managed to lessen the trash year over year though. Risky business with all the needles.
There is a hidden story going on here with you and the river both constrained to allow the 20th-century river traffic of goods and people to flow northwards.
You can really feel that tension between river, roads and people.
That number plate NV58 XJM came off someone's Volkswagen Touran. 🤣 I remember my Uncle who lived in Tottenham going on about Brent Cross shopping centre when it opened. A long time ago now.
My only visit to Brent Cross shopping centre was sometime in 1980 when I worked for the Alfred Marks window display department and I took some time off work to go and buy my first duvet (which I still have). Thanks for taking me on a walk around west London.
Many thanks for covering an area that I knew very little about - apart from driving past over many years thinking what a depressing part of London; just a vast expanse of decaying industrial units and concrete brutalism. Just to add that as I came from Shadwell then Stratford, it wasn't a case of looking down upon the area - my own bar wasn't exactly set very high! However, once again, your fascinating detail; coupled with your engaging, down to earth delivery; truly make your series of adventures a 'must watch'. Many thanks John for your ongoing productions to keep us entertained.
How the river offerings have changed.amazing how the green veins of nature flow through our grey man made landscapes.within feet of our world you are transported back in time.another great vid.
Magnificent it’s not, and depressing it is, but somehow, as always, John manages to turn a walk into an educational feast, even alongside a dirty river that is dead to all forms of wildlife.
Great video, but bloody hell, that looks like a tough, pedestrian-hostile area to walk.
parts of it are quite tough Mat but in a way it makes it all the more rewarding
Thank you John, the river Brent is lovely, sadly it is heartbreaking to see all those shopping trollys etc dumped in it along the way. I guess the Council have other priorities, never mind it was a nice walk with pretty blossom on the trees. Take care 💕🇦🇺
Thanks for a great video John. As an Edgware boy it was sad to see so much dereliction. That said, my heart was lifted at seeing the magical Welsh Harp reservoir.
Thank you Neasdon I had begun to believe it did not exist but in history books. My people lived in Neasdon and Willisden from around 1245 we faded away in the eighteenth century. Neasdon House now Clifford Court was the family home also the family had lease holds of Oxgate farm Sawtree Manor in Thundridge on Cold Christmas lane Hertfordshire. Fosters in Acton and other properties in London and around Southeast England The bastards people made a mess for us. But now in America since 1650 we have lands and business’ in multiple states. Need to come visit.
I've been researching my English ancestors and plan to visit soon. I want to map out all the primary locations first and I wish I could have John for my guide!
Thanks John - sounds bizarre but some of the most illuminating and fascinating walks in London involve the mixture of Industrial Estates, wastelands and housing. Sadly, can also reveal unbelievable deprivation with card board cities hiding in plain sight, where those society has given up on survive. More common than you think. Depressingly so.
I do love the way you find beauty in everything. Thank you sir.
A great little video John, mainly because I live in Cricklewood and you are pretty much on my home turf. Loved this one.
Another charming video John 👌… elevating discarded shopping trolleys into something almost poetic. You have a noble soul 🙏😊
I have never visited this area or Brent Cross. Lakeside, Thurrock was my out of town shopping Mall before Stratford Westfild opened. I am glad the Americanised retail parks are coming to an end. Interestingly Lakeside/Thurrock are attempting to do what you mentioned in this video. They are hoping to turn it into a regional town centre. Carpark C is already in the process of being turned into a 'town square'.
If all planning permission is granted it will happen in 6 phases and there will be street style shops, a town square, a new bus station, 2500 new homes built between A13 and Lakeside with cycle and walking access running through Arterial Way and a new school. With retail and industrial units closing and housing being built further encroaching into Lakeside it will add more people to the area. Grays is the nearest town centre which isn't that big. One to watch.
I laughed out loud imagining you pushing one of the many featured shopping trollies through IKEA snacking on herring
Wow! I remember going to the shopping centre as a tiny child!
Oh! & the Welsh Harp, i used to go sailing there with my school.
Super. Always enjoy your videos! Your synopsis on 'Urban Renewal' was succinct and sadly spot on. Best, John and thanks much.
Absorbing, spontaneous, surreal contrasting landscapes, best episode this year
Thanks very much John
Lovely walk and video John. It's really sad that any water course seems to be a magnet for people to throw rubbish and anything they can get their hands on into, when really they should be celebrated and enjoyed.
Delightful walk, as always. Thank you!
You’re the dude on this stuff !!!! Love every episode man
Thanks so much Greg
Brilliant work as always john very sad to see the river in such a terrible mess
Thanks for the chat. It was very lovely to meet you too John🙏🏽. Looking forward to seeing the new content
Shopping trolleys have to return to the water to spawn. Then they die
Great video as always John 👌 but the state of the river , rubbish and pollution the roads. the endless cars and traffic, the huge shopping centre, concrete then huge rats , wow just freaked me out and made me depressed, it's a sad statement of our society, I hope things improve and change,there are some lovely bits too , meandering through the water meadows,Wow cheers John I know things were worse in the fifties and sixties , The Thames was dead and poisoned from Richmond seawards but somehow it feels as bad now ! See you on the next one my friend 🌈💞🌏
Interesting walk, John. Yes Neasden depot, I remember over the years travelling on the underground on a twin rover ticket and observing the ancient rolling stock!
That walk provided some very grim and very beautiful vistas. It was nice you met some viewers, I envy them the chance of meeting you. Thanks for sharing.
Where those derelict shops are was a thriving vehicle radiator repair business called Wem Rads. I used to use them a lot, they were good people and a family business.
Love all your videos, but that's got to be one of the best , keep them coming.
Thanks John
"Cathedrals of consumerism." What an apt observation about the 1950,s to approximately 1990. How interesting to see the same type of suburban sprawl that we have here in the U.S. It was an enlightening walk and I appreciate your time and effort.
More like Workhouses of Consumerism.
Great video John, you saId M1 and then Great North Road, I would suggest Gt Nth Rd is more the A1
Another great vid, thanks. When you incorporated the "rivers", it makes me appreciate Ben Aaronovitch even more. Thank you for that.
What a fantastic video, but so sad to see so much rubbish and fly tipping..what's wrong with people??!!
A lovely Monday evening treat though, thanks John...👍😊
Deeply topographic indeed, John! A mighty walk! 😍
Great show as always.
Thank you for posting! I’m getting to know this area a little better.
Great video as always John, I walked some of these places like 5 years ago so seeing you walk them takes me back 😊
Thanks for another fantastic walk John.
Another wonderful and fascinating walk. Thank you 🙂
These glimpses of nature holding on in industrial landscape remind me of my childhood along the Medway in Frindsbury and Strood
A great walk and video! What a dehumanised hellscape we have created in large parts of the city.
great walk enjoyed very much
Quaintion street cottages built I believe for the workers of the metropolitan line. Very pretty houses
For the last year that I lived in London, I lived near Hendon Way but to the east of Brent Cross. Going to that shopping Centre then was like taking a portal back to the cityscape I had grown up in. Thanks for the fascinating views of the mighty Brent River
Beautiful soul
lovely John!! more rivers!!!! thanks for this!!!!
Thanks John, another significant video on the ongoing development in what was once a rural landscape !
these river vids are stunning
Nice. I worked in the (now derelict?) Unisys building back in 1990 but it seemed such a grim area that I never ventured from the building except to get the tube there and back. What fine memories...
Nice one John, reminded me of how the Regents canal, in the Hackney/Islington part was like in the 80's & 90's
I live in Willesdon and have done many strolls around the Welsh Harp. Once the water level was very low and there was a pina colada festival level of coconut shells strewn on the exposed banks. Quite extraordinary. Also an amazing place to pick wild garlic on the North side
Thank you for the video.. i was in london this morning after the marathon, and we went for a walk around kings cross before getting the train home. Following your lead of walking/observing we had a great (short) walk looking along streets and crescents.
One of your finest I think John. Very thought provoking.
many thanks Ben - I really enjoyed this walk and video, felt like an odd kind of homecoming for my channel
Oooo later this evening....so good to know you are well
A great video illustrating our obsession with cars. To live in that area we would have to evolve lungs that breathe car fumes rather than oxygen. Loved the viaducts magnificent examples of Victorian skills. I live miles from anywhere in West Virginia and even our main road is sparse for traffic.
love your videos john and i like to see the beauty of the areas you visit but i find it really to do that with this one!
That Decorium building I worked in during the mid 1960s. It had been newly built but now it looks terrible and left to crumble.
Smashing treat to see this walk while we're out in Turkey on holiday John. Especially for that shot of the Ace Cafe where I have visited on my Triumph motorcycle some years ago. Thanks for making it and phooey to those false copyright claims! You triumphed again.
Always learning!Thank you so much!!!!Cheers from Buenos Aires!❤
I enjoyed in a strange way, but this one's not for my bucket list. Thanks, John!
An area I know little about but this video has really inspired me to get out here and explore . Thanks for yet more inspiration John.
my pleasure Mark - there's a lot to explore in that part of London
Yay! My local river is famous now!
I also used to get taken to Brent Cross shopping centre in the 80s ! My auntie lived nearby so we often went there beforehand. Had great memories of it and the cool shops and Fenwick.
Fantastic John.
thanks Graham
Splendid walk! I love the mix of intensely urban landscapes you find, where it seems you have almost literally turn the corner and find a picture of perfect nature to show us. London is an amazing place!
thanks Jennifer
Thanks John!My favourite/London's rivers ❤
Beautifully done JR👏👌
thanks Marty
Great vlog, John your navigating Ikea made me laugh. Maybe a walk for another day but the Wharncliffe Viaduct in Hanwell is amazing. There is a free zoo there in the park and the Brent river flows through there. All the best Ross ❤😊
it will be interesting to see how the Argent development impacts these watercourses (the Brent and Clitterhouse brook). Unfortunately the playing fields in the estate are being turned into privatised sports pitches which will remove one of the only green spaces in the area.
I remember the Brent Cross Shopping Centre jingles on late 1970s/early1980s Capital Radio. I don't think I ever understood what it was.
This was a wonderful video, loved the dereliction, rats and tube depot!
Had my first job in M&S in Brent Cross 🎉
I have watched just about everything you have ever filmed John.But think for a reason I don't really understand is the one so far that put icing on the cake
Thank you
Quite harsh walking terrain, so true. I have to say, the harsher terrain, the better the videos John tends to produce. Thank you!
On the subject of Brent Cross, and Shopping Centres in general....
I remember some years ago (late 80's/early 90's), when I stayed over at my Aunt's flat in Battersea - in the Badric Court Estate - we would sometimes catch a bus from the stop under the railway bridge on Battersea Park Road/Bullen Street, and go to a small Shopping Complex that she called the 'Arndale Centre'. I've searched for it since, but I just can't remember where it was, and have never able to find it.
I presume it was swallowed-up by a larger, more modern Shopping Centre.
Arndale is still there in Wandsworth
@@BenC-vr2wi Cheers for that. I see it's called the 'Southside Shopping Centre' now. I think I was confusing my bus stops before. The bus we got from the Bullen Street stop under the bridge, was the one we had to catch to get back to Marylebone, changing at Victoria.
Love it great video on my patch. Don't think the caption for grand union canal was correct but I'm being a local pedant. One of the last shots was according to the bus stop called vicars Bridge. Funny how so much of the river is inaccessible. Have seen it really flowing on occasion after storms. A lot of people in the comments picking up on the isht hole nature of things ...
Just get in a kayak and paddle down it...
Make it a coracle
Great video John never been to Brent Cross great river shame about the rubbish but that’s the normal these days thanks for sharing
Don't let the River Deities know that's rubbish. All hell will break out. They think it's votive offerings.
Clitt (ER) House Brook! Had me startled then!
Good excursion 😊
In 10,000 years when this is all gone and forgotten, the River Brent will still be there finding its way through the barely discernible topography
Great video John. Do you know the Betjeman Poem? And I quote ... 'Gentle Brent, I used to know you. Wandering Wemblywards at will.'
Please more south London walks 🙏