What We're Reading: Cathy

London Under: the Secret History Beneath the Streets by Peter Ackroyd

Did you ever wonder what is under your feet as you walk around a city? Well it turns out there's an awful lot down there. Peter Ackroyd gives us a short account of what's under London - the historical items such as Roman tile floors, Saxon ruins, coins, monasteries, graveyards, medieval tools, etc. He tells us about the wells and streams that used to flow through the area now covered by London's streets. Unseen and unheard by today's Londoners for the most part but definitely still there: London must pump 15,400,000 gallons of water a day from below to preserve the city. You can get a map and see where they used to be by following his descriptions (this book really should have had a map in it). He tells us the story of the sewers. And, of course, he tells about the building of The Underground. It opened in 1863 and has served not only as a convenient transport system but also as a bomb shelter in WWII. The deepest tunnels are over 200 feet below the surface. Lots of interesting stuff!