Lawrence of Oxford

Here we must dispel the image of TEL as a monkish figure pursuing his lonely studies. He may not have had much time for the formalities of college life, but he made some good friends at Jesus College, and indulged in a number of non-academic pursuits, one of which was possibly his most famous youthful exploit in Oxford, the navigation of the Trill Mill Stream.

TEL would probably have read of this underground stream, which flows beneath the centre of the city, in the writings of Anthony Wood, the 17th century Oxford antiquary. Having found the start of its subterranean route near Hythe Bridge on the northern side of the city, in the summer of 1908, at the end of his first year at Jesus College, TEL embarked alone on an expedition by canoe along the narrow and dark course of the Trill Mill stream to its outlet at Folly Bridge. Today it emerges into the daylight under this stone arch in the War Memorial Gardens at the edge of Christ Church Meadow, and although the surroundings no longer correspond to those of TEL's day, the dark hole of the tunnel and the often near-stagnant water give some flavour of the expedition.

The goal achieved, he then organised a repeat trip, or perhaps two trips, for six undergraduate friends - one canoe would surely not have held such a large crew. There is a description of how they took candles for the bow of the canoe and an acetylene cycle lamp for the stern. Folly Bridge was reached in safety in under twenty minutes, although TEL's musings on which light would be extinguished first as the foulness of the air increased, what the reaction of the resident rats would be, and his firing of an albeit blank cartridge from a .45 revolver somewhere along the way would have done little to lessen any apprehension which his fellow travellers might have felt, without the hindsight of his previous trip.