INTRODUCTION. Xxix 



ton's View, 2nd edition^ p. 113). The publication of Middleton's book 

 in 1797 greatly stimulated tlie inclosure of waste lands. He con- 

 sidered their neglect a direct encouragement to vagrancy and crime, 

 and a reprehensible waste of the resources of the country. The 

 result of his expostulations was that in the five years preceding 1807, 

 20,653 acres of waste lands, of which 7,895 acres belonged to com- 

 mons properly so called, were inclosed. Since then nearly all the 

 remaining spaces have also been brought under cultivation. At 

 the present time not more than one-eighth of the area given above 

 still exists as common, and even this is not likely to remain 

 undiminished. 



Beginning on the western side of the county, Harefield Common 

 (200 acres in 1807) is only represented by a small piece of heathy 

 land by the roadside on the opposite side to the entrance to Harefield 

 Grove, and by the village green which formed part of it. Ruislip 

 Common is entirely inclosed, as are also Uxbridge Common (350 

 acres in 1807) and Hillingdon Heath (150 acres in 1807). 



Hounslow Heath is now only represented by the Drilling Ground 

 (south of the Staines Road beyond Hounslow), some ground south- 

 west of it towards Ilanworth, a rough piece of land adjoining the 

 Cran below Baber Bridge, another small piece by the same river in 

 Dockwell Lane, Heston parish, and a few wide roadsides and gravel 

 pits. Hounslow Pleath contained in 1754, according to Roque's map, 

 6,658 acres. In 1789, 350 acres in Stanwell parish were inclosed, 

 and in 1802, 1200 or 1400 more in the parishes of Teddington, Han- 

 worth, and Feltham. In Faden's map, 1802, it is represented as 

 extending from Harlington and Stanwell south-east to Twickenham, 

 Teddington, and Bushey Park (more than 6 miles) and from Hounslow 

 to Feltham (about 3 miles). Sunbury Common is inclosed, except 

 the parts of it known as Ashford and Littleton Commons (each, 

 according to Middleton, 250 acres in 1807). 



In the north of the county Harrow Weald Common, of which 

 695 acres were inclosed in 1805, is now only represented by a small 

 piece of its north and highest part. It is on a strong gravel (high- 

 level). Formerly connected with this common were Bushey Heath 

 (Herts) and Stanmore Heath. The former has been inclosed. The 

 latter is the highest ground in the county, a little over 500 feet above 

 sea level. It is a fine open piece of heath, sloping to the north-east. 

 Finchley Common, inclosed between 1819 and 1829, occupied 1,243 

 acres (Hoque, quoted by Middleton). Two-thirds of it, on the west 

 side, was wet clay; the remainder dry, and covered with furze. 



