New River Head Revetment Of Old Inner Or Round Reservoir Pound

The New River Head revetment is part of the northern half of the old Inner or Round Reservoir Pond, which was drained in 1913 and is now used for parking and builders' storage for the Thames Water Headquarters Building, formerly known as New River Head or the Metropolitan Water Board. This structure was built between 1609 and 1613 by the bricklayer Stephen Bone. It was remodeled with an iron pile revetment from 1841 to 1842 by W. C. Mylne, the Surveyor to the New River Company. In 1854, George Mansfield constructed a new retaining wall and laid York paving at the bottom under Mylne's supervision. The southern segment of the reservoir was demolished between 1919 and 1920. All work prior to 1902 was for the New River Company, while 20th-century work was for the Metropolitan Water Board.

The revetment features a multi-coloured stock brick inner face set in English bond, with a sloping floor made of Yorkshire stone slabs. The outer face is lined with cast iron plates. Three stone plaques on the western face of the outer revetment commemorate the construction of the reservoir. The New River reached Finsbury in 1613, where it connected with an existing pond known as Duck Pond, which was wharfed with oak boards for the reception of the New River Water and surrounded by a brick wall built by Stephen Bone. In 1841, urgent repairs were needed for the Inner Pond, leading Mylne to insert fender piles, allowing the pond to remain filled. He then secured new iron piles around the circumference and added iron wharfing. In 1854, Mansfield built a smaller retaining wall to support the slopes and leveled and lined the pond's bottom with York paving stone. The demolition of the southern segment of the pond wall in the 20th century was necessitated by the construction of the new headquarters building for the Metropolitan Board of Works on the site.