Commemorative Stone At Chadwell Spring, The Meads At Tl 3497 1368

This is a commemorative stone set into the ground at the head of a pool supplied by the Chadwell Spring, located at The Meads. The stone dates to 1728. It is constructed of Portland stone and features recessed inscribed panels, topped by a truncated obelisk. The main inscriptions read "Chadwell Spring", "Opened 1608; Repair'd 1728", and "conveyed 40 miles". A further inscription records "This belongs to the said company 270 feet”, with other distances detailed on the remaining faces. A small boundary stone, similar to those found along the Lea Cut, is also present. The Chadwell Spring comprises a circular pool, approximately 45 metres in diameter, from which a narrow channel runs northeast, connecting with the main course of the New River.

Historically, the Chadwell Spring was supplemented with water drawn from the River Lea in 1738 via a connecting cut, with gauges subsequently built to regulate the flow. The New River, built between 1608 and 1613, was a significant civil engineering project intended to augment London’s water supply. It drew water from the Chadwell Spring between Hertford and Ware, and the Great Amwell Spring located 2 kilometres southeast. The project was initiated by Hugh Myddelton, MP for Denbigh, and completed with the support of King James I, creating a 40-mile (64 km) watercourse leading to New River Head in Clerkenwell. The New River Company was formed in 1619 and operated until 1904, when it was taken over by the Metropolitan Water Board, later becoming the Thames Water Authority in 1974. Approximately 2 kilometres of the New River's course, and 1 kilometre of the subsequent connection with the Lea Navigation, runs through the Ware Town area. A realignment of the Ware Town boundary to include The Meads and the A10 viaduct brought Chadwell Spring within the town's area.