London Rivers Week 2026: The Kyd Brook: Living alongside a suburban river 1920s-2020s. A walk through Petts Wood

Join urban sociologists Emma Jackson and Louise Rondel and local historians Mel Wright and Andrea Stevens for a FREE guided, London Rivers Week 2026 walk which traces the route of the Kyd Brook through the suburb of Petts Wood. We will learn about the development of Petts Wood in the 1920s and 1930s and consider how this has impacted on the Kyd Brook. We will also share ‘tales from the Kyd Brook’, stories gathered at a residents’ workshop which took place during London Rivers Week 2025 which reflect on what it is like to live alongside the brook. We will follow the Kyd Brook into the National Trust woods which once provided the timber for the Petts’ shipyards including at Woolwich and Deptford. From here, we will leave the brook as it continues its course into Chislehurst then, as the River Quaggy, into Greenwich and Lewisham, joining the River Ravensbourne to eventually flow into the Thames at Deptford.

As we walk, we will invite attendees to share their own knowledge and reflections on living alongside London’s smaller waterways.

Date: Thursday 28th May

Time: 6 to 8pm

Meet at: Station Square, Petts Wood by JDM, BR5 1NA

Places are limited, please sign up here: https://www.pettswood.org.uk/events  

Route:

• The route is approximately 2½ km/1½ miles.
• It is mostly on pavements and will involve crossing some moderately busy roads.
• The end of the walk will be in the woods where the ground can be uneven.

What to Bring: Please wear suitable clothing and sturdy footwear for uneven ground. Don’t forget to bring a water bottle, sun cream and a hat, depending on the weather

Petts Wood and Hawkswood Access Able guide: https://www.accessable.co.uk/national-trust/access-guides/petts-wood-and-hawkwood-national-trust

There are toilets available at the meeting point – on the train station platforms and by request nearby at The Daylight Inn.

Information about Petts Wood Station, including accessibility information: https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/petts-wood/

Information about the Daylight Inn, including accessibility information from CAMRA: https://camra.org.uk/pubs/daylight-inn-petts-wood-128148

All U18s must be accompanied by an adult.

Contact:

For more details, contact: louise.rondel@gmail.com