West London's Buried Rivers Brought Back to the Surface
Mural on Bollo Lane tracks course of Bollo Brook and Stamford Brook
James Daw's by the side of a new development in Acton. Picture: Prime Phenix
May 3, 2026
Two of West London’s long-forgotten rivers have reappeared—this time not through excavation, but across a 12-metre mural now installed on the side of a new development in Acton. The artwork, created by London illustrator James Daw, stretches across the upper four floors of Prime Phenix’s Stirling Gardens building on Bollo Lane and traces the hidden courses of Bollo Brook and Stamford Brook, two waterways that still run beneath the streets in Victorian culverts.
Bollo Brook rises near Ealing Common, runs east and south along what is now Bollo Lane… and historically fed the ornamental lakes at Chiswick House before draining into the Thames, while Stamford Brook flows south to meet the Thames near Hammersmith. Neither appears on modern maps, and both are largely unknown even to long-term residents.
Prime Phenix commissioned the mural specifically to root the new building in the history of its location. The company said it wanted the most visible wall to carry artwork “rooted in the specific history of Bollo Lane,” identifying the two buried rivers as the ideal subject. Daw, a Camberwell graduate who has twice exhibited at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, walked Acton to sketch three local landmarks—Acton Town Station, Chiswick House and St Mary’s Church—before weaving them into the final composition.
The mural is permanent, free to view and visible from street level at any time. The developer says, “there is no fenced-off opening event; the work was installed quietly to become part of the street.” It is thought to be the first permanent public artwork in West London dedicated specifically to Bollo Brook and Stamford Brook.
Interest in London’s buried rivers has grown in recent years, with books, walking tours and community groups exploring the capital’s lost waterways. The Stirling Gardens mural adds a new West London landmark to that movement, reconnecting Acton residents with a piece of local geography that has been hidden for more than a century.
Prime Phenix, founded in 2016, has delivered more than 100 homes across six developments and is continuing to expand its West London portfolio. Daw, meanwhile, has collaborated with international brands and been shortlisted for illustration prizes in Lisbon, Italy and Kyiv.
Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We’ve always done that and won’t be changing, in fact we’d like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we’d be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you’d like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |