Norbury Brook is a tributary of the

River Wandle The River Wandle is a right-bank tributary of the River Thames in south London, England. With a total length of about , the river passes through the London boroughs of London Borough of Croydon, Croydon, London Borough of Sutton, Sutton, Londo ...

, that rises near Lower Addiscombe Road and flows north-west through

Selhurst Selhurst is an area in the London Borough of Croydon south-south-east of Charing Cross. Historically it lay in Surrey. The area is bounded to the west and south by Thornton Heath and Croydon and to the east and south by South Norwood and Woodsi ...

Thornton Heath Thornton Heath is a district of Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Croydon. It is around north of the town of Croydon, and south of Charing Cross. Prior to the creation of Greater London in 1965, Thornton Heath was in the Co ...

and

Norbury Norbury is an area of south London. It shares the postcode London SW16 with neighbouring Streatham. Norbury is south of Charing Cross. Etymology The name Norbury derives from ''North Burh'', (North Borough). Some local histories note tha ...

to join the Wandle at south

Wimbledon Wimbledon most often refers to: * Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London * Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships Wimbledon may also refer to: Places London * ...

. A short stretch of this is visible in

South Norwood South Norwood is a district of south-east London, England, within the London Borough of Croydon, Greater London and formerly in the historic county of Surrey. It is located 7.8 miles (12.5 km) south-east of Charing Cross, north of Wood ...

at Heavers' Meadow, near

Selhurst railway station Selhurst railway station is in the London Borough of Croydon in south London, along the line from . It is operated by Southern, which also provides all the train services. The station is in Travelcard Zone 4. History The Balham Hill and E ...

, where the brook can be seen in a concrete channel next to the British Rail works as it runs north west along the bottom of the site before disappearing beneath

Road. It is fenced off here because it can be dangerous, especially after a rain storm, where the water level can rise several feet in a few minutes, as the water rapidly drains from the roads and hard surfaces around and into the surface water drain. The brook reappears in Thornton Heath Recreation Ground, running along the western boundary of the park in a deep concrete channel. Most of the time the brook is fairly shallow, but during heavy rainfall water quickly drains from the adjacent built up areas and the water level rapidly rises. It then continues behind several private houses in between before reaching Norbury Park where, once again, it is hidden behind a tall fence. The brook continues west, to form the boundary between

and

Streatham Streatham ( ) is a district in south London, England. Centred south of Charing Cross, it lies mostly within the London Borough of Lambeth, with some parts extending into the neighbouring London Borough of Wandsworth. Streatham was in Surrey ...

on London Road at Hermitage Bridge, where it is one of the few rivers remaining overground in the area. As the boundary between the

London County Council London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London throughout its existence from 1889 to 1965, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today kno ...

and

Croydon Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extensi ...

for many years people wishing to travel south had to get off an LCC tram, walk across the bridge and catch a Croydon tram. West of the bridge the brook becomes the River Graveney, where it flows on to join the Wandle, and ultimately the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...

. There is a small tributary of the Graveney called the Little Graveney Stream, which runs through Figges Marsh and was culverted in the early 20th century and is no longer visible. It joins the Graveney near Tooting Junction Station. Two other tributaries of the Graveney are commemorated by local street names, Donnybrook and Fallsbrook Roads. During 1976 drought, water flooded out of sewer on Aberfoyle Road. A house on Edgington Road near the railway experienced flooding in 1976, 1993 and 2000. Besley and Leverson Streets descend to the valley of the Graveney and Fallsbrook Road, possibly following course of stream. Up to the 1970s, a house on Streatham Vale near junction with Farmhouse Road had, in the front garden, a badly eroded Roman pillar (milestone?) with lettering ____ER, FLU___ carved on it. Streatham was known as Streatham Wells in many old maps.

References

Rivers of London {{England-river-stub