Description

WARE TOWN

TL3413NE NEW RIVER
829-1/11/199 (South side)
Commemorative Stone at Chadwell
Spring, The Meads at TL 3497 1368

II

Commemorative stone set in the ground at the head of the pool
filled by the Chadwell Spring. 1728. Portland stone, with
recessed inscribed panels, topped by a truncated obelisk. The
principal inscriptions read `Chadwell Spring' `Opened 1608;
Repair'd 1728', `conveyed 40 miles', and the upper inscription
records, `This belongs to the said company 270 feet', with
other distances in the remaining faces. There is also a small
boundary stone of the type located along the Lea Cut (qv). The
Chadwell Spring consists of a circular pool, 45m diameter, out
of which a narrow channel runs north-east to join the main
course of the New River.
HISTORICAL NOTE: in 1738 the Chadwell Spring was supplemented
by water drawn from the River Lea, a connecting cut was
formed, and gauges were built to regulate the flow. The New
River, constructed between 1608 and 1613 was a major civil
engineering undertaking, and consisted of an open conduit,
15-20 feet wide, but of no great depth, designed to augment
supply of water to London, by drawing from the Chadwell Spring
between Hertford and Ware, and the Great Amwell Spring 2 km.
further south-east. Hugh Myddelton, MP for Denbigh, began the
work at his own expense, and enlisted the personal support of
King James I to complete the 40 mile (64 km) watercourse,
which led to the New River Head at Clerkenwell. The New River
Company, a pioneer in venture capitalism, was formed in 1619,
and continued in operation until 1904, when it was taken over
by the Metropolitan Water Board, which became the Thames Water
Authority in 1974. Approx 2 km of the course of the New River,
and 1 km of the later connection with the Lea Navigation over
the boundary in Hertford, runs through the Ware Town area. The
realignment of the Ware Town boundary to extend eastwards to
the A10 viaduct across The Meads brought Chadwell Spring
within its area.
(The Industrial Archaeology of the British Isles: Branch
Johnson W: The Industrial Archaeology of Hertfordshire: Newton
Abbot: 1970-: 97-101; Heath C: The Book of Ware. A Portrait
of the Town: Chesham: 1977-: 56, 66, 69, 71, 104; Hunt EM: The
History of Ware: Hertford: 1986-1946: 21, 37-8, 153-4; Thames
Water Authority: History of the New River: London; The
Victoria History of the County of Hertford: London: 1912-:
380-1; East Herts Archaeological Society Transactions: Andrews
WF: Chadwell Spring: Hertford: 1901-: 7-14).

Listing NGR: TL3497913681

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26515675

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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