138 H. GOSSELIN ON THE EITEE ASH. 



Ordnance Survey Map, to Bearden in Essex. Thence it continues 

 its way through the meadows till it arrives at Little Hadham. A 

 few hundred yards above this village, the real source of the Ash is 

 to be found. Hitherto, in descending the valley, we have been 

 merely tracing a bourne, which brings down the surface-drainage 

 in the rainy seasons and is dry during the greater portion of the 

 year ; but on arriving at this point above Little Hadham there is a 

 spring, the first we meet with in the bed of the bourne. It is a 

 weak one, and ceases to flow during the summer months. Little 

 Hadham is frequently called Hadham-on-Ash. The river is here 

 crossed by the Roman military road from Colchester to Bi-aughing. 

 About fifty yards above the hamlet of Hadham Ford is a strong 

 spring, which considerably augments the stream. The scenery ia 

 this part of the valley is remarkably picturesque, and it is espe- 

 cially pleasing a little further to the south, where the river flows 

 through the Rectory gardens at Much Hadham. During the 

 extremely hot summer of 1868, the Ash was dry at the back of 

 Hadham Palace ; but it has never been known to become dry 

 below the Odel meadows, near the lower road to Bishop's 8tortford. 

 Hitdham is by far the most important place in the valley of the 

 Ash. The large old-fashioned red-brick houses, the fine timber in 

 front of the lordship, the palace at one end of the village, and 

 the grand old elms of Moor Place at the other, all help to make 

 Much Hadham one of the most charming of our Hertfordshire 

 villages. 



Our river, which has now assumed considerable proportions, 

 shortly after flowing through the Rectory gardens, where it forms 

 a fine piece of ornamental water, crosses the Stortford Lane. Here 

 it receives its principal tributary bourne. This water-course, as far 

 as I have been able to find out, is known by no particular designa- 

 tion. It rises in the grounds of the once celebrated Hadham Hall, 

 and passes through Berry Green and Dane Bridge ; thence it continues 

 its course to the river, which it eventiially joins by running down 

 the lane, making it perfectly impassable when the floods are out. 



It may be well here to mention that the waters from these 

 bournes only reach the river in the rainy seasons. At other times, 

 though there may be a considerable stream in the upper portions, 

 where the bed is on clay, the water gradually disappears on 

 arriving at the chalk or gravel in the valley. Of course, during the 

 summer months, many of the tributary bournes are completely dry. 



We next come to the sheet of ornamental water above Hadham 

 Mill Farm, the well-timbered wood forming a fine background to 

 this charming part of the valley. Hadham Bourne, which rises 

 near Green Tye, falls into the river close to the weir. A remark- 

 ably pretty walk or ride may be taken up the lane, alongside of 

 this water-course, through Perry Green and down a steep hill into 

 Much Hadham. Before leaving this bourne I wish to draw atten- 

 tion to an error that has been repeated over and over again in the 

 maps of this county. Of course 1 do not refer to the old ordnance- 

 survey, which is more or less correct. In some of the maps, 



