Great Amwell

“GREAT AMWELL, a parish in the hundred of Hertford, in the county of Hertford, 2 miles to the S.E. of Ware. It includes the chapelry of Hoddesdon. A small stream, a branch of the river Lea, flows through the village, a quiet, sequestered spot, in the midst of pleasant and picturesque scenery. The church stands on a gentle hill completely embosomed in beautiful trees close by the "silver stream." The spring at Amwell is called in Domesday Book, "Emmewell" or Emma's Well. It is one of the heads of the New River. Amwell Place was the residence of John Scott, the Quaker poet, who loved the place, and sang of it in a pleasing poem named after the village "Amwell." Hither came, too, at an earlier period, honest Izaak Walton to enjoy nature and his favourite sport. His visits are gracefully alluded to in Scott's poem. In the pretty churchyard is the grave of William Warner, author of "Albion's England," who died in 1609. Here, too, is the last resting-place of Richard Jones, founder of Hayleybury College in this parish, for the education of the civil cadets of the East India Company. He died in 1855. Robert Mylne, the engineer of Blackfriars-bridge, has a monument here. On the little island near the spring-head, is a monument to Sir Hugh Myddelton, who accomplished the formation of the New River for the supply of London with water. Hoole, the translator of Tasso, and biographer of the Amwell poet, resided in the village; and Reed, one of the editors of Shakspeare, is buried here. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Rochester, value £310, in the patronage of the vicar. The church, which is of the 14th century, is dedicated to St. John he Baptist. There is also a district church at Hoddesdon, the living of which is a perpetual curacy value £150, in the patronage of the bishop. Remains of an old fortification exist on a hill near the church, and there is a large barrow on the road to Hertford.

"HALEY, a hamlet in the parish of Great Amwell, county Herts, 1 mile N. of Hoddesdon. In the vicinity is Haleybury College."

"HODDESDON, a chapelry, town, and polling place, partly in the parish of Great Amwell, but chiefly in that of Broxbourne, hundred and county of Hertford, 4 miles S.E. of Hertford, and a mile from the Broxbourne station of the Great Eastern railway. The New River and the River Lea, which is here joined by the Stort, flow through the parish. It was formerly a market town, held under the Bassingbournes, Says, and Bourchiers, and was given by Queen Elizabeth to the Cecils. The market, which was on Tuesday, has long been discontinued. The town, which adjoins the village of Broxbourne, consists principally of one street, extending along the road from London to Ware and Hertford. It contains a small townhall and police station, with a clock tower of modern date, an extensive brewery, and two flourmills. The old carved market-house was pulled down in 1834.