AND THE HERTFORDSHIRE BOURNE. 73 



■winters. In tlie winter of 1893-94 the mean rainfall in Hertford- 

 shire was 11 per cent, above the average for the half-century 

 18^2-9J, in tliat of 1894-95 it was 8 per cent, above it, in that 

 of 1895-96 it was 6 per cent, above it, and in that of 1896-97 

 it was as much as 32 per cent, above the average. If we take 

 the mean of eacli three successive winters the figures are — 112, 

 106, 108, and 1 15 per cent, of the average. Now, with a winter's 

 rainfall 40 per cent, below the average, and three successive 

 winters ending last winter only 1 per cent, below the average, 

 we get a rude awakening, the Chadwell Spring ceasing to flow, 

 and the conclusions of Lord Ikdfour's Conimission as to the water- 

 supply which can be obtained from the valley of the Lea being 

 shown to be utterly erroneous. 



Let me divert your attention from this spring for a moment. 

 Three or four miles below Hertford, a mile and a half below 

 "Ware, is one of the prettiest spots in Hertfordshire. Here, in 

 a sheet of water with trees around and Amwell Church above, 

 is an islet on which stands a pedestal erected to the memory of 

 ^sir Hugh Myddelton. In addition to inscriptions recording how 

 " the Aquteduct meanders for the space of XL miles from the 

 Spring of Chadwell and from this soui'ce of Amwell," is the 

 folio vring : — 



" Amwell, perpetual be thy stream, 

 Nor e'er thy springs be less, 

 Which thousands drink who never dream 

 Whence flows the boon they bless." 



This was written about the year 1800, and within the century 

 it has become a record of the past. Fair Emma's Well has long 

 since ceased to flow. 



About four miles above Hertford is — or was, we may now say — 

 another celebrated spring, Arkley Hole, in Woolmers Park. About 

 ten years ago, I am informed, but I think, from the records of the 

 rainfall, it must be eleven, the rushing of the water over the outlet 

 of the pool which this spring has formed, could be heard at the 

 house a quarter of a mile away. Now silence reigns supreme, for 

 the spring is dead. It was noticed that it was ailing about eight 

 years ago, and its decline was rapid. In a few years the water 

 in the pool no longer rose to the outlet, and it was not even 

 resuscitated by the very heavy rainfall of the winter before last, 

 following three other wet winters, and causing the Hertfordshire 

 Bourne to flow for the first time in fourteen years. The spring 

 has frequently failed to flow for a time after dry winters, but 

 the water in the pool is now lower than it is known to have 

 ever been before. It was about three feet below the outlet 

 when I saw it on the 1st of October. There is a spring on 

 a lower level, very near it, which has never been known to fail, but 

 which now yields only a small quantity of water. 



Returning to the consideration of the Chadwell Spring, the 

 bearing of the foregoing remarks upon the question which we are 

 considering is apparent. The spring is decHning in volume, steadily 



