River Westbourne
River Westbourne | ||
Westbourne flows through an aqueduct (green) through Sloane Square underground station. |
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Data | ||
location | London , England | |
River system | Thames | |
Drain over | Thames → North Sea | |
origin | at Whitestone Pond, Hampstead Heath 51 ° 33 '42 " N , 0 ° 10' 48" W. |
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muzzle | west of Chelsea Bridge in the Thames Coordinates: 51 ° 29 ′ 13 ″ N , 0 ° 9 ′ 19 ″ W 51 ° 29 ′ 13 ″ N , 0 ° 9 ′ 19 ″ W
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The River Westbourne is now a largely underground river in London . It runs south from Hampstead , through Hyde Park and flows into the Thames 100 m west of Chelsea Bridge . The length of Westbourne is comparable to that of the River Fleet .
The Westbourne was known by various names in different places and at different times (for example Bayswater River , Serpentine River or Ranelagh Sewer ). The original name was Kilburn (Cye Bourne - Royal Brook). The river originated in Hampstead, flowed south through Kilburn and reached Hyde Park at Bayswater . It was dammed in Hyde Park in 1730 to create The Serpentine , left the lake at the east end and flowed south towards Knightsbridge . The Tyburn Brook flows into the course of the River Westbourne in the area of Hyde Park. This part of town owes its name to a former bridge over the Westbourne. The river ran through Chelsea to the Thames.
With the emergence of the London districts of Belgravia , Paddington and Chelsea, Westbourne began to be moved underground in the early 19th century. The river has flowed almost exclusively in a pipe since the 1850s and, as the Ranelagh Sewer, has been an integral part of London's sewer system . Part of this line is visible above Sloane Square underground station .