New River built 1613, New River Company incorporated by royal charter in 1619 with Sir Hugh Myddleton as first governor. Artificial waterway built to supply water to London from the River Lea - the ‘New River’ ended just below the summit of Islington Hill, where an old duck pond was enlarged to become a reservoir, known as ‘New River Head’. The New River Company was taken over by the Metropolitan Water Board in 1904 and became part of Thames Water in 1973. The northern part of the New River is still an important link in the supply of water to London.