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NEW RIVER WALKS 2020
SADLY, MOST OF THE WALKS BELOW HAD TO BE CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19.
Five walks have been scheduled for 2020, two along the New River or its old course, and three in the Lea Valley. The walks are of varying distance & all start at about 10 am.
The creation of the New River was one of the greatest engineering and mapping works of its time. The New River Company was one of the first companies in the world and certainly the first in the UK. It was substantially financed by the King. It is one of the longest-lived companies to have existed, operationally for over 300 years and as a property company to this day. 29th September this year marks the 406th anniversary of the completion of the New River when, after more than 5 years work, it gently meandered and flowed for over 40 miles along the 100 foot contour, from springs near Hertford into the 'Round Pond', an old duck pond at the top of a hill in Islington, North London. From the Round Pond, water was distributed in hollowed-out elm pipes and by water carriers to those in the City Of London fortunate enough to be able to afford a fresh water supply. It was usually fed to the ground floor of dwellings. It wasn't a pressurised, constant supply, and water was only made available on notified days and times. However, the water was certainly cleaner, safer and much more convenient than that carried from the River Thames, local wells or conduits.
Today, after over 400 years, the New River is still supplying drinking water to London and, thanks to the New River Path, we can continue to enjoy walking much of this unique part of London’s industrial heritage.
There is no charge for our walks. John and Charles will explain various features of interest along the way, together with a bit of history. All walks include a lunch stop and short morning/afternoon breaks. Wear suitable clothing and footwear. Bring food and drink for lunch, or purchase locally at lunch stop locations where food and drink will be available.
Further details will be issued prior to the date of each walk. I do hope you can join us for at least one of them.
Sincerely - John Polley - 07814 546772 - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
| Date | Meet | Walk Route | Walk Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday 8th March 2020 11.00am start |
Meet at Three Mills, on Three Mills Lane. | River Lea - Lea Valley Walk - Three Mills to Limehouse Basin. A short walk of around 2.5 miles. Details: Lea Valley Walks 2020 | Charles Morris |
| Sunday, 5th April 11.00am start (suggested date, to be confirmed) |
Meet at Three Mills, on Three Mills Lane. | River Lea - Lea Valley Walk - Tour of the Olympic Park. This would be 3.25 miles and, again, starts at Three Mills. Similar arrangements as above. Details: Lea Valley Walks 2020 | Charles Morris |
| May or June 10.00am start (date to be confirmed) |
Meet at Leagrave - details to be confirmed. | River Lea - Lea Valley Walk - Leagrave (source of the River Lea) to Harpenden. Details: Lea Valley Walks 2020 | Charles Morris |
|
Sunday 31st May 2020 |
Meet outside Hertford East station, Hertford, SG14 1NB. | New River - Hertford to Enfield. Details to be added. | John Polley |
| Sunday 28th June 2020 10.00am start |
Meet outside the Crown & Horseshoes pub, Horseshoe Lane, Enfield, EN2 6PZ. | New River - Enfield to New River Head. Details to be added. | John Polley |
Hope to see you during 2020!
Please put the event dates above in your diaries now. Further details will be sent to our email list nearer the time (please join if not already a member - see below).
Please let walk organiser (John Polley or Charles Morris depending on walk) know if you will be joining us - John at metromodels # yahoo.co.uk or 07814 546 772, or Charles at charlesmorris88 # hotmail.com or 07788 887 863 - replace # by @ in email addresses).
Do join our 'low traffic' email list, so that you will receive updates promptly and automatically. Send a short email to:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
If you are not on our email list, please check here a day before the walk in case we have had to change any details.