The Falconbrook is a subterranean river

Subterranean river

A subterranean river is a river that runs wholly or partly beneath the ground surface – one where the riverbed does not represent the surface of the Earth ....

 that flows under Balham

Balham

Balham is a district of London, EnglandBalham can also refer to:*Balham, Ardennes, a commune in France*Balham station, railway and tube station in Balham, London*Balaam, a Biblical figure...

 and Battersea

Battersea

Battersea is an area of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is an inner-city district of South London, situated on the south side of the River Thames, 2.9 miles south-west of Charing Cross. Battersea spans from Fairfield in the west to Queenstown in the east...

 where it enters the River Thames

River Thames

The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...

.

Course

The Falconbrook is underground along its entire length, but is reflected by the naming of several local features (including the Falcon Road, the Falcons estate, and the Falconbrook school), and the significant valley under Northcote Road in Battersea. The source of the Falconbrook is in Streatham Hill, above Tooting Bec Common, South West London. The springs are in the foundations of the parade of shops on Streatham High Road between the top of Drewstead Road and Broadlands Avenue. During the building of the shops, extra access space was built below the basement floors to accommodate the springs when in full spate. The river flows underneath Drewstead Road, where it may be heard under a manhole above the junction with Woodfield Road, before going to the Common.

Flooding

Thames Water carried out work at the end of 2006 to alleviate flooding of the Falconbrook in Balham, involving a series of road closures.

In July 2007 the Falconbrook burst out of the pavement in several places and flooded the Falcon Road near Clapham Junction, during the 2007 floods.

See also

• Tributaries of the River Thames
  Tributaries of the River Thames
  This article lists the tributaries of the River Thames, in England. It also includes significant backwaters and waterways which also have confluences with the main stream of the River Thames.Most of the tributaries are natural, but a few were man-made...
  
  
• Subterranean rivers of London
  Subterranean rivers of London
  The subterranean or underground rivers of London are the tributaries of the River Thames and River Lea that were built over during the growth of the metropolis of London...
  
  
• List of rivers in England