The river follows the land contours (almost completely flat) and relies on gravity to convey the water southwards into London, on terrain that drops only five inches per mile. At one time the New river was threatened with closure, that decision was reversed and the waterway continues to supply 8% of total water needed to the capital to this day.
The design and construction of the New River is often attributed solely to Sir Hugh Myddelton. But it was Edmund Colthurst who first proposed the idea in 1602, obtaining a charter from King James I in 1604 to carry it out. After surveying the route and digging the first 2 miles (3 km) stretch, Colthurst encountered financial difficulties and it fell to Myddelton to complete the work between 1609 and its official opening on 29 September 1613. The entire length being dug by hand by two crews, one working from London and the other working down from Hertford.
New River Path
There is a designated walking route along the canal called the New River Path. It is a 28-mile (45 km) long-distance footpath which follows the course of the New River from its source at the New gauge House on the river Lee (nr Hertford) to its original end in Islington, London. The route follows, wherever possible, the historic water channel, as well as some straightened and piped sections along with occasion road and nearby footpaths.
My father Peter Gatens was employed after national service as a fitters mate, working for the Metropolitan Water Board (MWB), which became Thames Water in 1973 and worked 30 years for them before retiring.
Further reading about the route can be found here -
https://www.shelford.org//walks/newriver.pdf
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