How strange that the capital’s drinking water once flowed through this remote woodland glade. Today we are at the Flash Lane Aqueduct. It is a hidden gem in Whitewebbs Park. This early 19th-century engineering marvel is near Enfield’s edge. It is also an official Scheduled Ancient Monument.
The New River is a 17th-century feat. It’s a 40-mile canal bringing drinking water. The water came from Hertfordshire springs to Clerkenwell. Gravity powered it. This made the river twisty. The biggest twist was at Whitewebbs. To cross Cuffley Brook, a long bend was needed. Flash Lane was near the tip.
These wiggles were inefficient. In 1820, the New River Company decided to act. They wanted to build a viaduct to cut off the tip. Hunter and English of Bow were hired. They were paid £252 2s to build a cast-iron aqueduct. It needed to be wide enough to cross Cuffley Brook.
The Flash Lane Aqueduct would be 18 feet wide. It had four parallel sections bolted together. Lead sealed them. Puddled clay lined them. Two brick piers would support it. This allowed the stream to flow freely underneath. The New River was diverted across the top.
But the Flash Lane Aqueduct didn’t last long. In the 1850s, the New River Company invested in pumping stations. This allowed a longer, more complex viaduct. It bypassed the entire Whitewebbs Loop. The former waterway became useless. The Flash Lane Aqueduct fell into disrepair. Tree roots did their worst.
The first improvement came in 1968. The Enfield Archaeological Society excavated the trough. English Heritage grants followed in 1998 and 2010. These grants helped with full restoration. The Flash Lane Aqueduct was cleaned. A protective coating was applied. The brickwork was repaired. Graffiti was removed. The railings were fixed.
A splendid information board tells us more. It includes an aerial photo and cross-sectional diagrams. There are before-and-after photos and a map. A gate leads into the aqueduct area. A path crosses the bridge. It follows Cuffley Brook downstream.
The Flash Lane Aqueduct was placed on a national heritage at-risk list. It highlighted landmarks falling into decay. English Heritage provided a £30,000 grant. The structure was cleaned of graffiti. The cast-iron trough was replaced. Brickwork and stonework were repaired. The revitalized aqueduct was removed from the list.
The Flash Lane Aqueduct is a small but precious part of London’s history. It was built in 1820 to carry the New River over Cuffley Brook. It shortened the New River’s route. The New River has brought fresh water to London since the 17th century.
The Flash Lane Aqueduct includes a 19th-century multi-span bridge. The cast-iron aqueduct once carried the New River over Cuffley Brook. It is a cast-iron trough. It rests on the central pier of a two-arch brick bridge. Stone dressings adorn it. The trough is cast in four “E”-shaped sections. Lead seals them. They are bolted together and bolted onto deep side plates. Brickwork was added to the top of the side plates. It is cantilevered to prevent water loss. Originally, clay filled the aqueduct’s base to make it watertight.
Sir Hugh Myddleton built the New River between 1609 and 1613. It carried fresh water to London. The channel followed natural contours for nearly 65km. It ran from Hertfordshire springs to reservoirs at Clerkenwell. From there, wooden pipes carried water to London.
In 1820, the Flash Lane Aqueduct was constructed. Hunter and English of Bow cast it. The cost was £252 2s. Henry Rogers did the brickwork for £265 11s. By the 1850s, the aqueduct was superseded. The New River Company’s pumping stations enabled the Whitewebbs loop to be bypassed. The Docwra Aqueduct and embankment were built in 1855. The dry channel filled with soil. The Enfield Archaeological Society traced and excavated the aqueduct in 1968-9. The aqueduct was repaired and restored in 1998.
Despite later repairs, the Flash Lane Aqueduct survives well. It is a major part of the New River watercourse. It signifies 19th-century developments in construction and engineering. It was an increasingly sophisticated way of providing water. Take a moment to appreciate this hidden gem.