262 A TOPOGRAPHICAL 



facetiously asserted that it contained more ale than water. A con- 

 stant supply, however, was realized by the liberality of Dr. Hough, 

 Bishop of Worcester, who out of regard to the inhabitants, and 

 particularly to the Birches, of Leacroft, his relations, caused water 

 to be brought in leaden pipes from a spring a mile distant, and 

 built a handsome conduit of freestone at the corner of the bowling- 

 green in the middle of the town. This public bowling-green was 

 encompassed with a brick wall in 1753, when the south side of the 

 church was re-built. Cannock is a pleasant little town, and contains 

 several well-built houses and a good inn. According to the popu- 

 lation returns in 1811, it contained 224 inhabited houses, 240 fami- 

 lies ; 532 males, 611 females : total 1,143 persons. This town for- 

 merly had a market on Tuesday, which is now discontinued. It 

 was formerly a place of great resort, on account of the salubrity of 

 Reaumore-hill well, which was a fashionable watering-place in its 

 day. Dugdale asserts, that Henry I. resided here in summer, and 

 there are records of a castle having existed here, though no ves- 

 tiges of it now remain. It was more probably what the antiquaries 

 term a castellated mansion, built in that form to distinguish it as the 

 royal residence. There is some variation in the accounts respect- 

 ing the supply of water to the town, for it is stated that a Mr. 

 Biddulph originally laid pipes from Leacroft more than a mile dis- 

 tant, which conveyed excellent water from the fountain, and that 

 he bequeathed lands for the purpose of keeping the pipes in repair. 

 Perhaps this had been neglected, and the Bishop of Worcester was 

 only at the expence of repairing the pipes, and re-building the 

 conduit. 



The parish of Cannock is of considerable extent, containing 

 25,000 acres ; a considerable part of the enclosed land round the 

 town consists of a good light soil, adapted to corn, turnips, and 

 pasture. 



Hedgford, an enclosed hamlet on Cannock-heath, contains a good 

 inn, and stabling for blood horses, which are trained and exercised 

 on the excellent turf of Hedgford-hills. The ground being open 

 and elevated, and the soil being a sound gravel, seldom breaks 

 into mire. Hedgford -pool is a lake in a valley of Cannock-heath, 

 the Water from which issues north to the Trent, near Rugeley, and 

 south to the Walk mill, and afterwards west to the Penk, near 

 Standeford and Coven. 



Leacroft and Reaumore Hills are enclosed hamlets of Cannock, 

 situated to the east and south of the town. At the Walk Mill. 



