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Hertfordshire

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Hertfordshire, by Herbert W Tompkins This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
Title: Hertfordshire
Author: Herbert W Tompkins
Illustrator: Edmund H. New
Release Date: April 25, 2006 [EBook #18252]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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{Transcriber's note: Some misprints have been corrected, as noted at the end of the e-text. All material added by the transcriber is between braces {}. Text in bold in the original is surrounded by =equals signs=.}

HERTFORDSHIRE

[Illustration: ST. ALBAN'S ABBEY CHURCH]

HERTFORDSHIRE
By HERBERT W. TOMPKINS F.R.Hist.S.
With Illustrations by EDMUND H. NEW AND FROM PHOTOGRAPHS AND TWO MAPS
"Hearty, homely, loving Hertfordshire" --CHARLES LAMB
LONDON METHUEN & CO. LTD. 36 Essex St. Strand
Second Edition, Revised

First Published March 1903 Second Edition, Revised 1922

TO MY WIFE

PREFACE
In the following pages I have endeavoured to give a brief description of Hertfordshire on the lines of Mr. F. G. Brabant's book in this series. The general features of the county are briefly described in the Introduction, in sections approximately corresponding to the sections of the volume on Sussex. I have thought it wise, however, to compress the Introduction within the briefest limits, in order that, in the Gazetteer, I might have space for more adequate treatment than would otherwise have been possible.
I have visited a large proportion of the towns, villages and hamlets of Hertfordshire, and have, so far as possible, written from personal observation.
I desire to thank Mr. John Hopkinson, F.L.S., F.G.S., etc., for his kindness in writing the sections on Climate and Botany; Mr. A. E. Gibbs, F.L.S., F.R.H.S., for his permission to make use of several miscellanies from his pen, and Mr. Alfred Bentley of New Barnet for his courtesy in placing some photographs from his collection at the disposal of Mr. New.
VERULAM, SOUTHEND-ON-SEA, 1903.

CONTENTS
PAGE
INTRODUCTION 1
I SITUATION, EXTENT AND BOUNDARIES 1
II PHYSICAL FEATURES 2
III CLIMATE 11
IV FLORA AND FAUNA 15
V POPULATION 23
VI COMMUNICATIONS 25
VII INDUSTRIES 28
VIII HISTORY 31
IX ANTIQUITIES 33
X CELEBRATED MEN 39
DESCRIPTION OF PLACES IN HERTFORDSHIRE ARRANGED ALPHABETICALLY 45
INDEX TO PERSONS 235

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS
THE RAILWAYS OF HERTFORDSHIRE Front Cover
THE ABBEY CHURCH, ST. ALBANS Frontispiece (From a Photograph by the Graphotone Co., Enfield)
LEAFLESS BEECHES IN NOVEMBER, ASHRIDGE WOODS To face page 2 (From a Photo. by Mr. J. T. Newman, Great Berkhampstead)
ON THE RIVER COLNE 8 (From a Photo. by Mr. J. T. Newman, Great Berkhampstead)
GRAND JUNCTION CANAL AT TRING--THE HIGHEST WATER LEVEL IN ENGLAND 10 (From a Photo. by Mr. J. T. Newman, Great Berkhampstead)
THE PARISH CHURCH, ALDBURY 47 (From a Photo. by Mr. J. T. Newman, Great Berkhampstead)
ASHRIDGE HOUSE 53 (From a Photo. by Mr. J. T. Newman, Great Berkhampstead)
OLD COTTAGE, BALDOCK 59 (From a Photo. by Messrs. Valentine, Dundee)
CASTLE STREET, BERKHAMPSTEAD 72 (From a Photo. by Mr. J. T. Newman, Great Berkhampstead)
BISHOP'S STORTFORD 74 (From a Photograph by Messrs. Frith, Reigate)
BROXBOURNE 79
CHORLEY WOOD COMMON 87 (From a Photo. by the London Stereoscopic & Photo. Co.)
HATFIELD HOUSE 109 (From a Photo. by Messrs. Valentine, Dundee)
KING JAMES'S DRAWING-ROOM, HATFIELD HOUSE 111 (From a Photo. by Messrs. Valentine, Dundee)
HEMEL HEMPSTEAD 115
HERTFORD 117
HITCHIN 125 (From a Photograph by Messrs. Frith, Reigate)
KNEBWORTH PARK 139
OLD COTTAGES NEAR MACKERY END 146 (From a Photograph by the Author)
RICKMANSWORTH 170 (From a Photo. by the London Stereoscopic & Photo. Co.)
THE HIGH STREET, ROYSTON 172 (From a Photo. by Messrs. Valentine, Dundee)
THE FIGHTING COCKS, ST. ALBANS--THE OLDEST INN IN ENGLAND 178 (From a Photo. by Messrs. Valentine, Dundee)
BACON'S MONUMENT 183 (From a Photograph by Messrs. Frith, Reigate)
RUINS OF BACON'S HOUSE 184 (From a Photograph by Messrs. Frith, Reigate)
ST. ALBAN'S SHRINE 192 (From a Photograph by the Graphotone Co., Enfield)
STEVENAGE CHURCH 204 (From a Photograph by Messrs. Frith, Reigate)
WALTHAM CROSS 214
MAP OF HERTFORDSHIRE 233

INTRODUCTION
I. SITUATION, EXTENT AND BOUNDARIES
Hertfordshire, or Herts, is a county in the S.E. of England. On the S. it is bounded by Middlesex; on the S.W. by Buckinghamshire; on the N.W. by Bedfordshire; on the N. by Cambridgeshire; on the E. by Essex. Its extreme measurement from due E. to W., say from Little Hyde Hall to Puttenham, is about 38 miles; from N. to S., from Mobb's Hole at the top of Ashwell Common to a point just S. of Totteridge Green, about 30 miles; but a longer line, 36 miles in length, may be drawn from Mobb's Hole to Troy Farm in the S.W. Its boundaries are very irregular; the neighbourhood of Long Marston is almost surrounded by Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire, that of Hinxworth by Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire, and that of Barnet by Middlesex. Its extreme points are:--
N. Lat. 52° 5′ (N.) E. Long. 0° 13′ (E.) W. Long.