New River Path: Hertford to Stoke Newington

The New River Path is a long-distance footpath following the course of the New River, a 17th-century aqueduct.

The Hertfordshire and London sections span the first 25 miles of the watercourse before it disappears underground.

At time of writing (June 2025) there are two significant diversions that are missing from most published maps:

• The King’s Meads railway crossing near the start of the walk appears to have been permanently closed by Network Rail - the nearest alternative is on Mead Lane
• The section after the Google data centre near Waltham Cross has been closed by Thames Water - their suggested diversion is via the footpath alongside the A10

These diversions are included on the map below (GPX). The resulting route is ~43km. Additionally, there are minor, temporary diversions near Bull’s Cross due to resurfacing work on the path. These are relatively easy to navigate and are not included on the map.