A couple of hundred men were employed on the work, which was begun in 1730. The “Old Lodge” was destroyed in order to form the new ornamental water, and the Ring, which had been the vogue for upwards of a century, went with it. The latter had ceased to be a gay and fashionable resort when the camp afforded a counter-attraction, and never recovered its popularity. Moreover, Newmarket had become the great racing centre, and the Ring thus passed out of existence ingloriously. The cost of the Serpentine is said to have been only £6000. Some years before, the Chelsea Waterworks had been granted the rights of supplying the new western suburbs with water from Hyde Park and St. James’s Park; but they now accepted compensation of £2500, and handed over their rights in Hyde Park for the new design. The Serpentine continued to derive its waters from the West-bourne until the stream became too polluted by the increase of population on its banks, when it was turned underground. Major Hussey, of His Majesty’s Board of Works, kindly tells me that the present arrangements are as follows: “Water is pumped into the Serpentine from shallow wells in St. James’s Park and also from a deep well at the head of the Serpentine; in the latter case, however, it is usually first pumped to the Round Pond, whence it returns by gravity to the Serpentine. “Water can also, if necessary, be let into the Serpentine from the Water Board mains. No water now enters from the Westbourne Stream, which was originally the only supply. “The Round Pond, the Serpentine, Buckingham Palace Lake, and St. James’s Park Lake, are all connected in the order named, and water can flow through the series. “The fountains at the head of the Serpentine play by pressure from the Round Pond. If necessary they can be worked from the engines direct. The water pumped to the Serpentine from St. James’s Park flows through an iron pipe until it reaches the east end of the Serpentine; thence it passes along an old brick culvert and enters the Serpentine near its head in Kensington Gardens. “The opening up of this culvert a short time ago for the purposes of cleaning, may have given rise to the report that an old culvert had recently been discovered.” That Queen Caroline made such extensive improvements in the Park “for the good of Londoners generally,” was much doubted at the time. Indeed, there was some talk of a Royal Palace being erected there, and of further encroachments. Nevertheless, Queen Caroline’s work has proved a lasting benefit to the chief pleasure ground of the Metropolis.