London Under

London Under Synopsis

Take a journey through the buried city beneath London's streets.

Under London's streets lie buried rivers, Roman remains, Anglo-Saxon graves, Victorian sewers, tunnels, catacombs and railway stations. Peter Ackroyd descends through those layers to uncover the city's hidden geography and the stories attached to it.

London Under moves from ancient springs and Roman amphitheatres to the modern Underground, meeting rats, eels, ghosts and monsters along the way. It finds graves below St Paul's, the hydraulic machinery of Kensal Green cemetery, fossils revealed during construction of the Victoria Line and the Bank of England's subterranean vaults.

The underground city is at once practical and imaginary. It carries water and trains, shelters bodies and secrets, and has generated centuries of fear, folklore and fascination.

For anyone who has wanted to dig deeper into the many sides and stories of London, Ackroyd reveals a second city hidden beneath our feet.