TL3707 : New River & Path
taken 11 years ago, near to Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, England
The New River was built between 1608 and 1613 to take drinking water from local springs to Londoners. Four hundred years later, the river still fulfils its original purpose and its banks have become a popular walk running the entire length of the Borough.
A 28 mile walk, from the River Lea to Islington, along the New River which is a man made channel dug in the early 17th century to bring clean water into London. The path follows the New River channel as closely as possible, from open countryside with riverside paths, to the inner city streets, where, from the ‘Castle’ at Stoke Newington, it finishes with a 3-mile Heritage Section, where the route follows the historic but now truncated course through open spaces and on-street. This ends at the New River Head, an historic complex of installations and buildings.
As well as the open channels, the New River runs in some straightened and piped sections. The riverside paths include permissive sections restricted to use by walkers, who must observe safety notices and any diversion when closures are required for operational reasons