New River Gallery

King James rescued from the New River, 1897. Creator: John Leech

King James rescued from the New River, 1897. King James I of England (1566-1625) granted a charter in 1604 for the design and construction of the New River, an artificial waterway which supplied London with fresh drinking water. From "The Comic History of England" by Gilbert Abbott A Beckett, with satirical illustrations by John Leech. [Bradbury, Agnew & Co, London, 1897]

© The Print Collector/Heritage Images

The New River Head, c1872. Creator: Unknown

The New River Head, c1872. The site south-west of Sadler's Wells known as New River Head takes its name from the reservoir at the mouth of the New River, the channel cut in 1604-1613 to supply London with water from springs in Hertfordshire - a civil engineering achievement vital to the development of the metropolis. From here, high in the fields of rural Clerkenwell, a network of wooden mains conveyed water to the cisterns of London. To begin with, New River Head consisted merely of a reservoir, the Round Pond, and a single building known as the Water House. In time it became a comparatively sophisticated complex with outer ponds and associated structures covering seven acres... From Old and New London, Vol. II: A Narrative of Its History, Its People, and Its Places, by Walter Thornbury. [Cassell, Petter, Galpin & Co., London, Paris & New York]

© The Print Collector / Heritage-Images

View of London from Islington, 1789. Artist: Johannes Swertner

View of London from Islington, 1789. View of Westminster and the City of London from Islington, showing Church Street in the foreground, Upper Street and Lower Road, with New River and City Road beyond. St Paul's Cathedral can just be seen in the distance. Builders work on Islington Chapel; a horse drawn carriage and cattle can also be seen

© London Metropolitan Archives (City of London) / Heritage-Images