108 A DAY ON THE LEA 



demands, I was delighted with the opportunity 

 of testing it from an angler's standpoint, and, if 

 possible, tasting its trout. 



Having thus traced the Lea up to its source 

 at Houghton Regis by the help of an ordnance 

 map, I will now make a rapid descent, touching 

 only a few places here and there which I find 

 noted in " Rambles by Rivers," by James 

 Thome. From him I learn that the Lea rises 

 at Houghton Regis, about a mile and a half 

 north-east of Dunstable, in Bedfordshire, and 

 entering Hertfordshire near Hide Mill pro- 

 ceeds in a south-easterly direction through 

 Wheathampstead and Hatfield Park. At Luton, 

 though it appears to be a very interesting little 

 town, we can only stop to say that Dr. Johnson 

 once visited Luton Hoo, and it was in the 

 grounds there that Boswell proposed that he 

 should walk. He replied : 



" Don't let us fatigue ourselves. Why should 

 we walk there ? Here 's a tree ; let us get to 

 the top of it." 



A short distance from Hertford the Lea is 

 joined by the lovely little stream which Thorne 

 calls " The Maran " I know not which is the 

 right title, this or Mimram. 



