"400 years old, and it still works!" The construction of the New River

See also...

New artworks unveiled at Enfield Chase Station

29 September 2024

New artworks at Enfield Chase station drawing inspiration from local history were officially unveiled on 28th September.

90 years of the Piccadilly Line through Southgate: a second chance to learn some of its secrets

21 January 2024

On 3rd February a revised repeat of a talk about the opening of the Piccadilly Line extension from Arnos Grove to Cockfosters will round off the celebrations of its 90th anniversary.

Saving an old school to help a new generation of young people flourish

30 October 2023

Residents are being invited to contribute ideas to a project to reopen a historic school building in Edmonton as a community hub which will provide training opportunities for young people in the borough.

Autumn courses with Enfield & Southgate WEA

30 August 2023

WEA Enfield & Southgate courses resume towards the end of September, either online or at Enfield Baptist Church.

Delving into Trent Park's top secret history

07 August 2023

Ahead of the opening of a museum in part of the historic mansion at its heart, projects to carry out further in-depth research into Trent Park's vital World War 2 intelligence-gathering role are already yielding results. In parallel, an interactive project to teach local children about the...

A stroll around our streets

17 July 2023

A new self-guided walk booklet will take you around 21 of Palmers Green's architectural and heritage highlights and reveal fascinating snippets about our local history. For instance, did you know about the time when three crowned heads of European states got together around a PG table?

Published: 27 July 2018

Share this article

new river ice lecture screenshot

For the Institution of Civil Engineers' annual Smeaton Lecture in 2014, Andrew C Smith described how the extraordinarily ambitious New River project was conceived and executed, with particular focus on the role of the engineer Edmund Colthurst.

At the start of his lecture, Andrew Smith remarks that there are not many items of infrastructure that are more than 400 years old yet are still successfully fulfilling their original purpose.

The webcast of the lecture was recorded and can be watched online at www.ice.org.uk/eventarchive/smeaton-lecture-2014-the-new-river.

The recording of the lecture was discovered by John Polley of the New River Action Group. Among the Group's activities are various guided walks along the New River. There's one on Saturday 28th July from Hertford to Rye House, including a tour of the New River Brewery, and another on 7th October along the Whitewebbs Loop. For details see newriver.org.uk/nr/.

Local History/Local Studies

Log in to comment

Become a Friend of Cooking Champions today!

While we admire and support the Christmas campaigns that we see pop up in December, we also know that help is urgently needed all year round, each and every year. As some people pack away after the festive break, we are still here.

Our support is not limited to a food package, but it leaps beyond - we form connections, we listen and respond to everyone who steps through our doors. We open up a warm, safe, environment which aims to feel like a home away from home.

For us to continue to thrive and grow, and keep supporting as many people as possible, we are asking you to become a Friend of Cooking Champions. Even a donation of just £5-10 per month can make a HUGE impact on the lives of those who come through our doors.

Pop to our People's Fundraising page to donate, and we promise to keep you updated with how your support is making a difference. Thank you, we appreciate you! Team Cooking Champions