The Fleet: Its Rivers, Prison, and Marriages

A richly illustrated tour of a London that no longer exists, this work traces the once‑busy River Fleet from its hidden springs in Hampstead to its final disappearance beneath the city’s streets. The author weaves together anecdotes about ancient wells, medicinal baths, and the bustling entertainments that gathered around its banks, giving listeners a sense of how the waterway shaped daily life and even the city’s early water supply.

The narrative then turns to the infamous Fleet Prison, revealing its grim conditions, the peculiar freedoms enjoyed by some inmates, and the colorful characters—both notorious and mundane—who passed through its doors. Through court records, personal letters, and contemporary sketches, the book paints a vivid picture of a place where law, commerce, and desperation intersected.

Interlaced with stories of marriages performed within the prison’s walls and the surrounding neighborhoods, the volume captures the human drama that unfolded along the river’s course. Listeners will come away with a vivid portrait of a vanished landscape and the lives that once pulsed through it.