River Crane, London

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The River Crane is a river in west London, England, and is one of the larger tributaries of the River Thames. It is 8.5 miles (13.6km) in length. Its source is taken to be a point south of North Hyde Road in Hayes, Hillingdon, from where its course is generally in a southerly, if near semi-circular, direction, before it joins the River Thames at Isleworth. The principal tributary of the river — the Yeading Brook (formerly known as "The River Fishbourne") — begins its course considerably further north in the high ground between the northwest London suburbs of Pinner and Harrow.

The main tributaries of the Crane are:

Dollis Brook 1.1 mile (1.8km)
Silk Stream 3.3 miles (5.3km)
Duke of Northumberland's River 8.5 miles (13.6km): this is in two sections, from the River Colne, Hertfordshire to Hounslow; and Whitton to Isleworth adjacent to Syon Park. The name comes from the fact that the latter house is owned by the Duke. It is a man-made watercourse, such as figure largely in the Crane catchment.
Yeading Brook 16 miles (25.8km): follows a meandering course through Rayners Lane, Ruislip, Northolt (skirting Northolt Aerodrome as it does so) and Southall, before its confluence with the Crane at Hayes.

There are at least ten other streams.

Passing through Cranford (= Crane + ford), the river crosses Hounslow Heath (where the Duke of Northumberland's River enters Crane). Here the Duke's River passes to the south of London Heathrow Airport before joining the main river. From this point the Crane, which has been flowing in a south-westerly direction, passes through Crane Park (Whitton) and makes a complete turn to the north-east to join the Thames at Isleworth, throwing off the second section of the Duke's River near Kneller Gardens in Twickenham. The Crane is tidal for a short distance before its confluence with the Thames.

The River Crane creates the boundary between the London boroughs of Hillingdon and Hounslow; and for part of its route is in the London Borough of Richmond.

During construction of the Piccadilly Line extension to Heathrow Airport, the bogginess of the ground beneath the river prevented engineers tunnelling below it, so the line rises from its tunnels on either side in order to cross over it.