A Statue Without Explanation In Islington
Every time I go between my house and the Angel, I pass this statue on Islington Green.
It is of Sir Hugh Myddelton, who was very much a hero to generations of North Londoners prior to the Second World War.
Wikipedia introduces him like this.
Sir Hugh Myddelton (or Middleton), 1st Baronet (1560 – 10 December 1631) was a Welsh clothmaker, entrepreneur, mine-owner, goldsmith, banker and self-taught engineer. The spelling of his name is inconsistently reproduced, but Myddelton appears to be the earliest, and most consistently used in place names associated with him.
So why did my parents and others, born in the early years of the twentieth century, hold Myddelton in such high esteem?
Both my parents were born close to his most famous creation; the New River. Wikipedia explains his part in the project.
Myddelton is, however, best remembered as the driving force behind the construction of the New River, an ambitious engineering project to bring clean water from the River Lea, near Ware, in Hertfordshire to New River Head in Clerkenwell, London. After the initial project encountered financial difficulties, Myddelton helped fund the project through to completion, obtaining the assistance of King James I.
I do wonder, if the generation of my parents felt affectionately about the New River because in their first few decades, it was probably the source of most of the water they drunk and used for cooking and washing.
Wikipedia doesn’t give any clue to the character of Myddelton, but I’m sure that in today’s climate, some would find him not worthy of having a statue in such a prominent place.
I do feel though, that the statue needs a display to fill out the story of a man, who did so much for London over four hundred years ago and is still benefiting from his creation.
Fighting The Algae
I walked through the New River Walk in Islington this morning and the Council were doing their best to fight the algae.
The theory is if you put bales of barley straw in water infected with the algae, it helps to combat it.
They don’t seem to be having much success, but then I didn’t when I tried it years ago in one of my ponds.
They’ve Given Hugh A Voice!
Islington is unusual in that the most prominent statue in the main commercial and shopping area of the town is not of royalty, a politician or a military figure, who is probably best forgotten.
Statue Of Sir Hugh Myddelton On Islington Green
Their main statue on Islington Green is of Sir Hugh Myddelton, who is described like this in Wikipedia.
Sir Hugh Myddelton (or Middleton), 1st Baronet (1560 – 10 December 1631) was a Welsh clothmaker, entrepreneur, mine-owner, goldsmith, banker and self-taught engineer
The statue stands where his main creation; the New River, ended its journey to bring fresh water into London. I suppose a modern equivalent would be to put a statue of Lord Coe in the Olympic Park.
They’ve now given Sir Hugh a voice, which you can listen to on your mobile phone.
Listen To Sir Hugh
This picture shows a close-up of the plaque, which details how you listen. This link takes you there.
Welsh Policemen On The Streets of London
I took this picture this morning at the Angel
Welsh Policemen On The Streets of London
It shows two Carmarthen policemen on duty.
In some ways, it’s an appropriate area, as the statue of Hugh Myddelton, the Welshman, who four hundred years ago, built the New River to give London its first fresh water is at Islington Green, a hundred metres or so away.
The 400th Anniversary of the Opening of London’s New River
You don’t get too many four hundredth anniversaries in the world, but in 2013, there will be an important one for London.
Melvin Bragg did a program on the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible this year and he has been on television talking about it. But where is the program about the New River, which brings fresh water to London? And has done since 1613!
I was brought up in Southgate and cycling around the area as a child it was something you couldn’t avoid. I now live near its southern end and every time I go to the Angel, I see the statue of Hugh Myddelton on Islington Green.
The story of this great undertaking gets a good mention in Wikipedia, but surely the 400th anniversary deserves something more.
For a start, how many schools along the river are doing projects or having parties to celebrate the anniversary?
In some ways, the history of the river has lessons for the modern world, where water is such a precious commodity.
Surely, this anniversary is something that should interest someone like Griff Rhys Jones or Adam Hart Davis.
The Anonymous Widower 