Home for the engineer of the New River
Where Sir Hugh Myddelton lived
Sir Hugh Myddelton is remembered by a blue plaque in Cunard Crescent, Enfield, but his house has long since disappeared and been replaced by modern homes.
A man who got things done
Hugh Myddelton was the man who got the New River finished. Others had the idea and made a start but ran out of money.
The 'river' is really an aqueduct built between 1609 and 1613 to bring fresh water all the way from Hertfordshire to London.This called for skilful engineering.
The artificial recharge scheme
The modern system of 'artificial recharge' involves pumping surplus water into a huge natural reservoir under North London, and taking it out when supplies are short.
There is a borehole where water is pumped in or out of the aquifer in Enfield just down the New River from where Hugh Myddleton lived.
The water is contained in a layer of chalk, which appears at the surface outside London, in the North Downs and Chilterns. Rainwater enters the chalk in these areas and then moves underground towards the centre of London.
Beneath much of the capital the chalk is covered by a thick layer of sand. In north London, this provides a much larger groundwater reservoir, thanks to the room between the sand grains.
In the past, some of this groundwater was extracted for use by industry, which now provides space in the chalk and sand to ??recharge?? the aquifer with treated water.
Submitted by: Eliza Hunt, 02 April 2007
