As much as we tried to capture the shock of last year’s events in Halfway to Atlantis: Remembering the 2021 London floods, there wasn’t space to explore the surroundings of each flood location. This photo series gives them a little more context from other angles, and from nearby streets. As we wrote in the anniversary piece, these are places, not just disaster zones.
Latchmere Road, SW11
The Overground underpass on Latchmere Road from the northern side.Looking southward along Latchmere Road towards Clapham Common.The low point of the underpass was impassable by the late afternoon of 25th July last year.
Pudding Mill Lane DLR Station, E15
Looking northward across the DLR platform towards Olympic Park and London Stadium.Looking southeast from the station building past ABBA Arena towards Poplar and the Thames.The station front from Barbers Road, showing the bollards through which water rushed during the flash flood.Stairs lead up to the Lewisham DLR platform. Floodwater had risen over the first step during the flood, making it difficult to leave the station.The main station entrance from underneath the rail overpass that comes in from Stratford.
Wadley Road, E11
The street sign for Wadley Road. Whipps Cross University Hospital, less than half a mile away, suffered a basement flood which took out power in three wards after their backup generators failed.A striking red brick façade on the western side of Temple Close.Wadley Road from its northeastern junction with Colworth Road, looking southwest towards Hackney Marshes.The junction with Temple Close, about halfway down Wadley Road. This location was under about a foot of water during the flood.
Hackney Wick Overground Station, E9
Looking south from White Post Lane towards Hub67 and Fish Island.Hackney Wick station, designed by Landolt + Brown and Wendy Hardie, won a RIBA National Award in 2019. The entire station forecourt was covered in several inches of water during the flood.The station from further away, showing the edge of Queen’s Yard on the right.
