The New River
A 17th Century waterway whose advanced construction techniques far surpassed those of the 18th century canal builders
Clissold Park & Highbury
The section in Clissold Park is attractive and retains one original New River bridge. There is a popular cafe at Clissold Park house where one can sit and enjoy a view of the New River as it sweeps round in an arc. Unfortunately this watered section is just a small part of what once threaded through the park. The remainder, as we have seen, existed along Paradise Row, and also towards Green Lanes, as defined by a line of trees from the watered section westwards. A sluice house situtated on Green Lanes is all that is left to tell us that a waterway once existed here.
Beyond Green Lanes, the route is virtually non-existent. I dont think there is a single trace left to be seen of the loop west of Green Lanes - and the picturesque country setting in which the Sluicehouse Tavern and the Iron bridge once stood can only be imagined. However we will look at the route as it is today in the few places where this is possible.
Clissold Park - the one original bridge can be seen in the distance
Clissold House and Stoke Newington church. The New River runs on the right, just discernible behind the fence. The wildlife information board on the extreme right tells us about the various birds that can be found on the New River here.
All too soon the New River ends and the course is defined by an avenue of trees heading westwards. This view shows the end of the watered section (behind the fencing) and the filled in section. The church can be seen to the side through the trees
At Green Lanes a former sluice house can be seen. This was once used for the purpose of extracting the New River from 48" diameter pipes dug under Green Lanes from the Stoke Newington pumping station and continuing the water southwards to New River Head. These pipes enabled the lengthy, and expensive to maintain, loop that ran westwards to Blackstock Road, Finsbury Park, Wilberforce Road and then eastwards back to Stoke Newington to be dispensed with.
A view looking westwards from the Green Lanes sluice house. On the left is Highbury Quadrant and on the right is Riversdale. The New River ran on an alignment between these two roads. It headed straight under Green Lanes where this crossing is and through the site of the White House Inn before turning slightly to the north west and then westwards again.
The name of some council flats on Highbury Quadrant reveal the location of the erstwhile waterway.
From the upper floors of a block on Highbury Quadrant can be seen the alignment of the New River as it turned from a north west to west course. The derelict land and garages lie on the course of the New River. The properties on the left hand side are those sited along Riversdale. The course bisected Riversdale a little further to the west and out of the picture to the left.
The junction of Riversdale and Wyatt Road, where the New River ran diagonally across the picture from left to right. This location was the begining of the lengthy embankment that led to what was known as the 'Boarded River' (actually a 462 foot long enclosed wooden aqueduct across the Hackney Brook)
At the junction of Mountgrove Road and Finsbury Park Road (to the left) the New River ran right to left heading northwards. It was sited on its embankment at a considerably higher level than the land surface is today.
Brownswood Road just to the east of its junction with Blackstock Road. Again the New River ran at a higher level here (17 feet so it is said) and this site is where the aqueduct (the 'Boarded River') crossed the Hackney Brook.
This view looking south of houses in Wilberforce Road mark approximately the site of the noted Highbury Sluice House Tavern. The course of the New River was diagonally across the road.
The site of the Eel Pie House and the northern end of the long 600 yard embankment across Highbury Vale. At this point the New River turned sharp eastwards to head straight for the present alignement at the Stoke Newington pumping station
Its course crossed this picture roughly from the right side wall to the gap at the side of the council flats on the left
This view looks the other way northwestwards from a point near where the old Stoke Newington filter beds were sited. The New River ran straight down the alignment in which this view is looking, and behind the photgrapher it entered the filter beds, and ultimately its present terminus by the Stoke Newington Pumping Station
This view looks eastwards from the previous position and we can see houses on what was once the site of the four filter beds. The New River ran down the road in the picture above, and joined its present course to the far side of where the parked red car is. The Stoke Newington pumping station's towers can be seen
Stoke Newington pumping station - now a climbing centre! This photograph might seem a little odd because of the flash of light and reflections apparent. I took this from a 141 bus having noticed the climbers scaling the side of the building!
