A WALK ALONG THE NEW RIVER

 

Geoff Cordingley

On Sunday 29 September 2013 several HWLHS members took part in a walk along the New River to commemorate its opening exactly 400 years ago on 29 September 1613. The walk commenced at the Gauge House on the River Lee and followed the New River as far as St Margaret’s.

Edmund Colthurst first had the idea of taking spring water from Chadwell and Amwell to London, where it could be used to cleanse and scour the ditches, and provide drinking water for the people. James I granted Colthurst a charter by letters patent and he began the venture in 1604, but only managed to dig some three miles of channel. Hugh Middelton then took up the cause and the “river” began to take shape in 1609. Despite many delays caused by obstructive landowners, the work was completed in 30 months, the water being delivered to a round pond created at New River Head in Islington, close to where Sadlers Wells Theatre is today.

The channel was 10ft wide and around 5ft deep. It was designed with a fall of one inch every 350 yards. One can only marvel that such a feat was achieved by men working mainly with picks and shovels and using carts for transport. The original channel followed the 100ft contour and was 42 miles long. Shortly after its completion, engineers began to cut out some of the meanders through the use of pipes and embankments. This process continued into the 20th century and as a consequence the River is now some 24 miles in length. Today the New River provides 8% of London’s water supply.

For more information see London’s New River by Robert Ward (Historical Publications) 2003.

For walks along the Lee, see The New River Path (Thames Water) 2013).