Gazing at the Longford River, can you imagine it as a brand new waterway? It was built in 1638. King Charles I commissioned it. The Longford River isn’t a natural river. It’s a man-made channel. It stretches 12 miles. Its purpose was to bring water from the River Colne to Bushy Park and Hampton Court Palace. The project took about nine months. It cost £4,000. The Longford River aimed to enhance the water supply for the royal gardens and fountains. Nicholas Lane designed the Longford River. The fountains were meant to impress Charles I’s wife, Henrietta Maria. The Longford River has been called by many names over time. These include the New River, the King’s River, the Queen’s River, the Cardinal’s River, the Hampton Court Cut, and the Hampton Court Canal. The river’s route has been altered, especially near Heathrow Airport. Its path was shifted during the airport’s growth. The most recent diversion was for Terminal 5. This involved a complex project called the Twin Rivers Diversion Scheme. This scheme included the Longford River and the Duke of Northumberland’s River. At its eastern end, the Longford River feeds water features in Bushy Park and Hampton Court. The cascades and fountains there were restored and reopened in 2009. The restoration involved extensive work, including dredging silt from the ponds. The project cost £780,000 and aimed to bring the water gardens close to their original 18th-century appearance.
Southfields Methodist Church
Curiosity stirred within the heart of Southfields as a new chapter began. Southfields Methodist Church held its first public service