EELS AND EEL-CATCHING IN BEDFOBDSBIBE. 125 



irregularly. Four and three-quarter miles of water to Milton 

 Mill. 



Bromham Mill. — One trap, 4 ft. x 16 ft., inside mill and 

 alongside wheel. Average take of Eels per year, 6 cwt. Heaviest 

 catch, 1^ cwt. in one night ; 7 cwt. in a month about 1890. 

 Largest taken, 6^ lb. Trap worked regularly. Four and three- 

 quarter miles of water to Oakley Sluice. 



Kempston Mill. — One trap, 8 ft. x 15 ft. Average take of 

 Eels per year, 1 cwt. Largest taken over 6 lb. Trap worked 

 irregularly. Two and a half miles of water to Bromham Mill. 



Duck Mill, Bedford. — Demolished and traps removed, 1890. 



Cardington Mill. — Three traps, 4 ft. x 15 ft. Average take 

 of Eels per year, 2 cwt. Heaviest catch, 3 cwt. in twenty-four 

 hours, about 1909. Largest taken, 4 lb. Traps worked irre- 

 gularly. Five miles of water to Kempston Mill. The " New 

 Cut" would no doubt take the greater proportion of Eels from 

 above Bedford direct to Castle Mill. 



Castle Mill {Goldington). — Two traps, 9 ft. x 15 ft. and 

 5 ft. x 42 ft. Average take of Eels per year, 8 cwt. Heaviest 

 catch, 2 cwt., about thirty years ago. Largest taken, under 4 lb. 

 Traps worked regularly. Two miles of water between this and 

 Cardington Mill, and in addition, that proportion of the Eel 

 supply via the " New Cut " from Kempston Mill. 



Roxton Sluice. — One funnel trap, 5 ft. x 12 ft. Trap broken 

 and not used for several years past. One of 9 lb. is recorded 

 from information given to me by the late Mr. Martin George, of 

 Tempsford, taken at Boxton Sluice about 1880.* I have since 

 heard what was probably the same Eel spoken of as weighing 

 7 1b. 



Eaton Socon Mill. — Four funnel traps. Three 4 ft. x 16 ft., 

 one 4 ft. x 12 ft. Average take of Eels per year, 15 cwt. 

 Heaviest catch, 10 cwt. in three days, about 1909. Average 

 weight, f lb. to 1 lb. Largest taken, 4 lb. 10 oz., length 37 in., 

 in August, 1909.1 If traps were worked regularly, an average of 

 1 ton per year could be taken. Ten miles of water to Castle Mill. 



There are fourteen additional water-mills in the county at 

 the present day where Eel-traps are not fixed. 



* ' Victoria County History, Bedfordshire,' vol. i., p. 101. 

 f ' Bedfordshire Times and Independent,' August 6th, 1909. 



