The
River played a key role in the
Roman settlement of
Londinium , the city now known as
London . It is thought that the river acquired its name from the fact that it ran through or under the
London Wall . The stream started in what is now
Finsbury and flowed right through the centre of the walled city into the
River Thames , near to where
Cannon Street Railway Bridge is now located, splitting the settlement in two. It was probably used for fresh drinking water and also for carrying
Sewage down to the Thames. The Romans built a temple to
Mithras on the east bank.
The Temple was discovered and subsequently excavated during rebuilding work after
World War II . The Roman Governor's palace was also located on the east bank of the stream, near to its entry point into the Thames. It is said that, when Londinium (also known then as ''Caer Lundein'') fell to the invading Saxons in the late-6th Century, all the British (Welsh) inhabitants were forced to live on the east bank of the Walbrook while the Saxons would reside on the west. This ancient division endured as the east side — or East End — continued to suffer in poverty while the west side — of West End — flourished.
The Walbrook river now runs completely underground. The only evidence above ground that the stream is there is a street called , which runs parallel to its course. On the street is a church called
St Stephen Walbrook , which originally stood on the west bank of the stream, but was rebuilt around
1439 on the east side. In
1666 the church burnt down in the
Great Fire Of London and
Sir Christopher Wren built a new church there in
1672 to replace it, which still stands there today. The historic
London Stone , which would have been a highly important religious symbol in Roman as well as pre-Roman London, is also minutes from Walbrook, as is the present-day
Bank Of England .
The Walbrook is one of many "lost" rivers of London, the most famous of which is the
River Fleet .
