A new riverside walking and cycling route has officially launched in north London

Technically more of an aqueduct than a river, the New River is thought to be London’s cleanest waterway. Running from Hertfordshire all the way to Stoke Newington, it was purpose-built more than 400 years ago to bring clean, fresh water to the city’s homes and is never victim to things like sewage dumps or overspills. So, you’d think it would make for a very pleasant summer’s day walk. 

A path along the north London river has technically been open to the public for several years, but it wasn’t particularly popular as it was always getting clogged up with mud. Now, that’s all changed. A new and improved path opened to the public on Wednesday, June 18. 

The stretch from Cartherhatch Lane to the M25 has been laid, widened and generally made more attractive so that it can be safely used by people on bikes, scooters and wheelchairs, as well as walkers. The path runs next to New River for 2.9km then along local roads for a further 1.8km. 

On top of that, a new bridge has been installed over Turkey Brook (aka Maidens Brook), more pedestrian crossings have been added where the river passes under roads and a previously closed section between Tenniswood Road and Carterhatch Lane has been opened up. The project also added new seating and lighting as well as 124 new trees and 30 bird and bat boxes to attract more wildlife. 

A large chunk of the funding came from National Highways, which contributed more than £3m. Transport for London handed over an additional £1.1m for the scheme. 

Councillor Tim Leaver, Deputy Leader of Enfield Council, said: ‘We’re proud to deliver this fantastic route, which makes it easier and safer for people to walk and cycle between Enfield and Broxbourne. It highlights the beauty and history of the New River enabling the community to make greater use of the area, while supporting our commitment to more sustainable, local travel. Schemes like this play an important role in improving local journeys, encouraging more active travel and connecting communities. It’s a great example of how targeted investment can benefit people and the environment.’

Andrew Jackson from National Highways said: ‘We want to give something back to the community, so we have designated funds for projects like this. This is one of the most exemplar schemes – it shows that when everyone co-operates and finds a way through we can deliver something on this scale. This is a great result.’

Eventually, there’ll be another cycling route along the New River in Broxbourne which will create a continuous link between the town and Enfield. At the moment, though, that’s closed while Thames Water works on the north of the M25. 

Four parts of London will get new outdoor street dining areas this summer. 

A new e-bike company will launch in London this summer. 

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