Secrets of underground London revealed

It is the world, quite literally, beneath our feet... but it is one that most Londoners never get to see.

Now the secrets of some of the capital’s hidden depths are to be revealed by an expert on subterranean London.

Antony Clayton, author of Subterranean City: Beneath the Streets of London, will explore what is beneath the city's streets as part of Cityread 2013.

In it he will uncover lost rivers, underground railways, ‘ghost’ stations and government bunkers.

The first free talk takes place at Paddington Library tomorrow at 6.30pm.

Mr Clayton will hold a second talk, Legends of Underground London, which will uncover the folklore of the hidden world including its secret tunnels and passages, tales of the sewer pigs and buried trains at Kensington Central Library, April 11, also at 6.30pm.

He said: “Libraries are places where you can find information on anything you're interested in; they're free to visit and so are the talks and events.

“Such events help to bring the local community into their libraries to discover the riches within.”

Other events during the month long Cityread will include free literary and history talks, creative writing workshops, exhibitions, a photographic competition and an online reading group.

The event now in its second year aims to encourage Londoners to rediscover their love of reading and the joys of visiting their local library.

Councillor Steve Summers, Westminster’s Cabinet Member for Community, said: “Our libraries are a fantastic and much-loved resource.

“It is events like Cityread that will remind anyone who hasn’t visited their local library for a while why they are so important.”

“Residents across the Tri-borough area now have access to more books than anyone could realistically expect to read in a lifetime.”