In recent weeks I’ve organized two different well attended weekend walks. First there was the 2 1/2 mile Upper Falls Loop walk then a few weeks later there was a 6 mile Charles River Loop walk through Newton, Wellesley and Needham.
This weekend I’m not organizing any walk because I want to go on one of my favorite walks in the city, the Newton Conservators aqueduct hike. A couple of times a year the Conservators host a walk along this five mile route led by Conservator tour guide Henry Finch. I particularly love this walk because I’m such a nosy person. The route is roughly a triangle with two of the side made up of the Sudbury Aqueduct, the Cochituate Aqueduct. Walking on the aqueducts feels a bit like sneaking though peoples back yards. The best part is that you can lose your bearings a bit about exactly where you are until you emerge on a recognizable street.
Come on down to the Waban Starbucks on Sunday at 2 PM and let Henry Finch show you a whole new view of the city.
Speaking of: a few years ago some landowner blocked one of the paths. Has that been resolved?
Unfortunately, no it hasn’t. Fortunately though that only affects a very short piece and its easy to walk around the block.
It was a perfect afternoon for a good walk. A friendly crowd of about 70 ! people turned up.
As always tour guide Henry Finch did a fine job and shared plenty of interesting info along the way.
Thanks for helping to organize these wonderful events. I used to run down most of Newton’s aqueducts until my body instructed me to shift aerobic activities to cycling and swimming (walking has been a constant as well).
Newton should continue to protect and expand its green space. Adding Webster Woods was a great triumph unless you believe that we should, in the words of Joni Mitchell, “pave paradise and put in a parking lot.”
Doubling down on Bob’s comment. Jerry deserves a medal for his contributions to the Newton community. And Village 14 has never been as robust a platform as it is today. So thank you, Jerry. Much appreciated!
Only a torn hamstring kept me from joining the Newton Conservators aqueduct walk. [It aint easy being a 65 year old bodybuilder who still works out 250+ days a year]. Hopefully they’ll do it again next spring and I’ll put on my hiking shoes.
I agree with Bob about Webster Woods being a “great triumph” for the city, and the importance of preserving Newton’s green space and remaining woodlands. I’d like to see the Newton Conservators take up the cause of reforesting the city’s municipal golf course. We already own the land, and the city has no business being in the golf course business anyway. Closing the golf course and replanting trees would give Newton another fabulous urban forest, very much like Webster Woods.
Thanks for the kind words Mike.
I’d be happy to walk that trail any time with you once that hamstring heals
Could you download a of the route.thank you
Could you download a of the route.thank you
@Alan Greenstein – On the Conservators web site there is a map and detailed info about the aqueduct loop trail but note that its a somewhat longer route than the route that was walked on Sunday.
Add to the Newton’s “dream list”: a pedestrian passage to connect the two parts of the Sudbury Aqueduct near the Eliot station. There is already one near Haughton Gardens, so maybe with some lobbying it could happen.