MIDDLESEX. 
m7 
gate. After this, its precife direftion cannot be eafily 
determined ; but it probably turned weftward at the end 
of Old-ftreet, and, continuing along Wildernefs-row and 
Clerkenwell, crofted the Fleet Brook, and alcended the 
hill at Portpool-lane; thence purfuing a north-wefterly 
direction, it fell into the track which now forms the high 
road to St. Alban’s, and, approaching the ftation of 
6ullonicae, palfed on through Elftree to Verulamium. The 
Ikenild-ftreet, taking an eafterly direfition up Old-ftreet, 
and over Bethnal Green, went on by Old Ford to Ca- 
malodunum, or Colchefter. The Ermin-ftreet led north¬ 
wards through Iflington, Stoke Newington, and Hornfey, 
to Enfield; then, turning off near that town, it palled 
Clay-hill, and entered Hertfordlhire. A fourth Roman 
road led into Surrey and Berkfliire, by the towns of 
Brentford, Hounilow, and Staines, along the courfe of 
the prefent turnpike; and there feems every reafon to 
believe that a fifth took the direflion of Eflex, through 
Whitechapel and Stratford-le-Bow. Several camps of 
Britifh and Roman conftruflion are difperfed throughout 
the county, but none of them are peculiarly interefting: 
and in general it may be remarked, that, except in Lon¬ 
don and Weftminfter, there are few remains of antiquity 
in Middlefex, which have any claims to the particular 
notice of the antiquary. 
After the retreat of the Romans, and the eftablifhment 
of the Saxon heptarchy, this county appears for fome time 
to have conftituted a kingdom of itfelf; for which, how¬ 
ever, its kings were obliged to do homage to thole of 
Kent or Mercia. It was ultimately incorporated with 
the kingdom of the Eaft Saxons, and remained in that 
condition till the dift'olution of their monarchy, by the 
fubjugation of the feveral kingdoms of the heptarchy 
to one monarch. Subfequent to this event, the hiftory 
of London is intimately connebted with the hiftory of 
Middlefex. 
The furface of this county, though rnoftly flat, prefents 
a variety of hills, near its union with Hertfordlhire, many 
of which rife almoft imperceptibly to their fummits, and 
are, on that account, admirably adapted for the purpofes 
of agriculture; being fuffieiently Hoping to fecure a proper 
drainage, and, at the fame time, free from abrupt eleva¬ 
tions. This inequality of furface, moreover, contributes 
in no fmall degree to health, ornament, and beauty ; 
though only a few fpots can be confidered as eminently 
pibfurefque. The ground, for the moll part, afcends 
from the banks of the Thames towards the north ; and, 
within four miles of London, appears a range of gentle 
eminences, which, fhelters the metropolis from the north¬ 
ern blafts, and agreeably breaks the uniformity of the 
horizon. Of thefe heights the chief are Hampftead, High- 
gate, and Mufwell Hill; all of which afford many pleaiing 
and extenfive profpebls. So likew'ife does Harrow Hill, 
which, from rifing in a fort of ifolated manner, forms a 
prominent objebl for many miles around. This eminence 
approaches a higher and more extenfive ridge, ftretching 
north-eaftward in interrupted fwells from Pinner, Stan- 
more, Elftree,Totteridge, and Barnet, to the foreft-fcenery 
of Enfield Chace. The average elevation of thefe hills is 
about 400 feet above the ftream of the Thames. Such 
land as lies contiguous to that river, and to the Colne 
and Lea, is in general perfectly level, and exhibits a ftate 
of the higheft cultivation. 
The mineralogy of this county affords fewer objefts of 
intereft than perhaps any other in England. According 
to Mr. Middleton, the difpofition of the ftrata is, “ firft, 
cultivated furface; fecondly, liliceous gravel, from five 
to ten feet in thicknefs ; thirdly, a ftrong leaden-coloured 
earth, generally called clay, varying from one to three 
hundred feet in thicknefs; this is an excellent brick- 
earth ; fourthly, marine fediment, fometimes cockle-fhelis, 
but principally oyfters, agglutinated together, and har¬ 
dened into a fort of ftony ftratum, three, four, or five, 
feet deep; fifthly, loofe land and gravel, from which the 
water is found to rife in fuch quantity as to preclude the 
Vot. XV. No. 1047. 
poffibility of digging further. No metallic ftrata have yet 
been diicovered in any part of the county; and appear¬ 
ances indicate, that, if there really are any fuch, they lie at 
too great a depth to be made fubjebt to the operations of 
the miner.” A thin ftratum of fullers’ earth, however, 
w’as found, in 1802, about a mile from Paddington, on 
the Edgeware road; and, in 1798, a quantity of loofe 
coal, twelve inches in thicknefs, w'as diicovered at Chel- 
fea, nearly fifty feet from the furface. F01T1I Ihells, prin¬ 
cipally bivalves, together with other marine exuvite, have 
occurred in different parts. 
Middlefex, from its fituation with regard to London, 
prefents more variety in its agriculture than any county 
in Great Britain. In general, however, it may be pre- 
mifed, that the eaftern divifion of the county, with the 
exception of the gardens in the vicinity of the metropo¬ 
lis, are appropriated to meadow', pafture, and potatoe- 
grounds; and that the vveftern divifion, excepting Houn- 
flow-lieath, Sunbury and Ruiflip commons, and fome 
other fpots, confifts chiefly of arable lands. 
Meadow-land in the occupation of cow-keepers is ufu- 
ally mown two or three times during fummer, the great 
number of cows kept by them enabling them to drefs it 
every year. As their chief object is to obtain their hay 
of a foft grafly nature, they cut it young, conceiving it 
to be better provender for milch-cows in that ftate than, 
after the feedling Items have rifen. The pafturage or 
grafs-lands lie principally, if not entirely, on the banks 
of the feveral rivers with which this county is fupplied. 
Thofe adjoining to the river Lea contain about 2000 acres, 
of which upwards of 1200 are inclofed, and the remainder 
divided by land-marks among a great number of proprie¬ 
tors. The feveral trails of grafs-land on the banks of 
the Colne include about 2500 acres; and fuch of them as 
are inclofed are extremely fertile. By far the greater pro¬ 
portion of them, however, are Lammas Meads ; and one 
of the neceflary confequences of this condition is, that 
the ditches are.fo much negleited as to be grown up. 
The richeft grafs-land in the whole county is that of the 
Ifle of Dogs, which, fince the formation of the Eaft-India 
Docks, has been reduced from 1000 to lefs than 500 acres. 
The fruit-gardens of Middlefex, folely intended for 
the fupply of the public market, are fuppofed to occupy 
about 3000 acres. They extend, principally, on each fide 
of the high road, from ICenfington through the parifhes 
of Hammerfmith, Brentford, Ifleworth, and Twicken¬ 
ham. Thefe gardens, on an average, furnifh conftant 
employment to about ten perfons per acre, men, women, 
and children; but, during the fruit-feafon, this number 
is increafed to thirty-five or forty. The annual pro¬ 
duce of the labour of thefe individuals colle&iveiy is efti- 
mated at 300,000]. about three-fourths of the whole fup¬ 
ply of London. In thefe gardens it is ufual to have two 
crops, one called an upper , and the other an under, crop. 
The former confifts of the larger fpecies of fruits ; and 
the latter of the fmaller, fuch as rafpberries, goofeberries, 
currants, and others which are known to fuller little in¬ 
jury by excluiion from the influence of the fun. Some 
gardens are inclofed by very high walls, againft which 
grow a vaft variety of wall-fruits ; and artificial banks are 
alfo frequently formed, by which the gardeners are ena¬ 
bled to raife certain crops many weeks earlier than they 
could otherwife eifefl:. 
The nurfery-gardens lie rnoftly in the neighbourhoods 
of Chelfea, Brompton, Kerifington, Hackney, Dalfton, 
Bow, and Mile-End; and are computed to comprise up¬ 
wards of 1500 acres. In thefe gardens are to be found 
almoft every variety of fruit-trees, ornamental lhrubs,, and 
rare plants, known in any quarter of the world. Indeed, 
fo celebrated are the nurferymen of Middlefex for the 
cultivation of exotics, that, in times of peace, a great ex¬ 
portation of thefe articles takes place to France, Spain, 
Portugal, Italy, Ruflia, and other countries. 
The extent of ground fituated in Middlefex appro¬ 
priated to kitchen-gardens for the fupply of the London 
4 K markets* 
