Most of the Kid Brooks were buried in concrete culverts as Kidbrooke and Blackheath were developed from farmland, but surprising amounts of it can still be found above ground.
Above is a map showing the course of the three Kid Brooks kindly provided by reader Andrew.
It's taken from the pamphlet Kidbrooke: Eight Hundred Years of a Farming Community, by Michael Egan.
So here's what we know so far about the brooks which gave Kidbrooke its name:
The Lower Kid Brook
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The Lower Kid Brook |
Egan's map suggests that this wasn't quite the original route of the LKB, rising as it did at the bottom of Shooters Hill.
However you can follow its course west along Broad Walk through a series of drains before it heads southwest by the
Samuel Montagu Youth Centre.
The brook then crosses under Rochester Way (Kidbrooke Lane on the map) near the junctions of Briset Road and Wendover Road.
It continues underground along or close to Ridgebrook Road. Other road names here (Meerbrook, Tilbrook and Birdbrook) suggest proximity to the brook.
The LKB then crosses west under Kidbrooke Park Road. This section appeared dry from the road, when I passed there a few weeks back (see picture right).
The brook then passes south of Weigall Road before joining the Quaggy River proper. Andrew has added this to the map in blue pen above.
Some confusion is caused here by another tributary seen
clearly on Google Maps. Does anyone know whether this is another branch of the LKB?
The Middle Kid Brook
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MKB by Thomas Tallis |
The Middle Kid Brook rises in Shooters Hill Road near the site of the old Brook Hospital.
However it doesn't emerge above ground until it reaches Kidbrooke Park Road by
Thomas Tallis School, some distance west.
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Ordnance Survey Map from 1914 |
It then runs underneath the railway line and skirts the Ferrier before emerging at the little-known
pond by Casterbridge Road.
The brook then goes back into culverts and follows the route of Brook Way. A small section emerges above ground and can be seen from
Parkgate on the Cator Estate. It then joins the Quaggy further West.
The Upper Kid Brook
As far as I'm aware, none of the Upper Kid Brook remains above ground. However, its course can be followed on the map above and a little extra information has been gathered by the excellent
Edith's Streets website.
From here it heads West through Blackheath to the Quaggy, although unfortunately I've yet to discover the exact course it takes.
So, an incomplete guide, but the best I can do for now. If you can help fill in any of the missing parts, then
please do let me know by email or in the comments.