▁date ▁to ▁medieval ▁times , ▁thus ▁document ing ▁the ▁artificial ▁changes ▁to ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁the ▁shall ow ▁river . ▁The ▁earliest ▁one ▁shows ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁various ▁courses ▁by ▁the ▁She pp erton ▁Studios ▁site ▁in ▁Little ton , ▁a ▁map ▁commission ed ▁by ▁She pp erton ▁Man or ▁two ▁miles ▁to ▁the ▁south . ▁This ▁refers ▁to ▁the ▁mon ks ▁of ▁West min ster , ▁who , ▁it ▁is ▁suggested , ▁may ▁have ▁done ▁the ▁w iden ing ▁here ▁still ▁visible ▁today , ▁including ▁into ▁po ols ▁at ▁points . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 0 ▁the ▁Metropolitan ▁Water ▁Board ▁roughly ▁followed ▁its ▁course ▁when ▁building ▁the ▁St aines ▁Aqu ed uct ▁to ▁supply ▁water ▁from ▁the ▁River ▁Th ames ▁at ▁Hy the ▁End ▁to ▁its ▁works ▁at ▁Sun bury ▁and ▁Ham pton . ▁ ▁Its ▁works ▁convey ed ▁the ▁river ▁in ▁a ▁cul vert ▁' si phon ▁channel ' ▁beneath / above ▁the ▁aqu ed uct ▁at ▁three ▁locations : ▁Bir ch ▁Green , ▁Short wood ▁All ot ments ▁and ▁West ▁of ▁Queen ▁Mary ▁Res er voir ▁at ▁L ale ham . ▁ ▁Short ly ▁after ▁this , ▁the ▁mid - course ▁was ▁shift ed ▁a ▁little ▁west ▁to ▁make ▁way ▁for ▁the ▁Queen ▁Mary ▁Res er voir ▁in ▁Little ton . ▁An ▁initial ▁trace ▁of ▁the ▁original ▁course ▁is ▁visible ▁near ▁the ▁res er voir ' s ▁In take ▁and ▁P ump ing ▁Station . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁the ▁River