River Fleet facts for kids

The River Fleet is a special river in London, England. It's one of the city's largest rivers that now flows mostly underground. Imagine a secret river hidden beneath the busy streets!

Where Does the Fleet River Begin?

The River Fleet starts far away on Hampstead Heath. This is a big park in north London. It begins as two small streams. In the 1700s, people built dams on these streams. This created a series of beautiful ponds. These are known as the Hampstead Ponds and the Highgate Ponds.

After leaving these ponds, the water goes underground. It flows into large pipes, like a big drain. These pipes are called sewers. The two streams meet up in an area called Camden Town. From the ponds, the river travels about 4 miles (6.4 kilometers). It keeps flowing underground until it reaches the big River Thames.

How Did Fleet Street Get Its Name?

The River Fleet gave its name to a famous street in London: Fleet Street. This street is well-known for its history with newspapers. The eastern end of Fleet Street is where the river used to flow above ground. There was a bridge there called Fleet Bridge. Today, that spot is where Ludgate Circus is located.

Images for kids

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  The Fleet passing by St Pancras Old Church

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  The mouth of the River Fleet in 2002, appearing as a drainage outlet (obscured in shadow) in the embankment wall beneath Blackfriars Bridge

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  The Fleet Ditch in 1844

Entrance to the Fleet River, Samuel Scott, c. 1750.

The southern reaches of the Fleet, flowing beneath Holborn Bridge and Fleet Bridge, past Bridewell Palace, and into the Thames, as shown on the "Copperplate" map of London, surveyed between 1553 and 1559

See also

In Spanish: Río Fleet para niños