A Bridge to the Past

Quentin Blake

2026

Digital reproduction from ink and wash original

“The story of the New River goes back a long way. It has a history of supplying water to London, but it was also a source of joy and relaxation for local people.

From 1613, the New River ran from Amwell to here, with bridges along its route. My bridge gave me the opportunity to show figures through the ages in historical costume – the sort of people who might very well have come to benefit from the comforts and refreshment that the river had to offer. Some of them I have invented, but the men fishing are from an 18th-century engraving.

Despite the fact that there were watchmen who were meant to prevent them, many young people took the opportunity to swim in the river. I’m not able to define a moment for the swimmers in my drawing; you could say that they have been there for centuries.” – Quentin Blake