From Oteland the Thames goeth by Walton, Sunburie, west Moulseie,
Hampton, and yer it come at Hampton court on the northside, and east
Moulseie on the other, it taketh in the Moule water, which giueth name
vnto the two townes that stand on each side of the place, where it
falleth into our streame. It riseth in Word forrest, and going by
Burstow, it méeteth afterward with another gullet, conteining a small
course from two seuerall heads, whereof one is also in the forrest
aforenamed, the other runneth from Febush wood, and comming by Iseld,
méeteth with the first aboue Horleie, and so run on in one chanell, I
saie, till they ioine with the Moule water, whereof I spake before.
After this confluence in like sort, it is not long yer the Moule take in
another from by north, which commeth from about Mesham on the one side,
and another on the other side, running by Ocleie and Capell, and
whereinto also a branch or rill commeth from a wood on the northwest
part. Finallie, being thus increased with these manie rilles, it goeth
by east Becheworth, west Becheworth, and ouer against the Swalow on the
side of Drake hill, taking in another that c[=o]meth thither from
Wootton by Darking and Milton, it runneth to Mickleham, Letherhed,
Stoke, Cobham, Ashire parke, east Moulseie, and so into the Thames,
which after this coniunction goeth on to Kingston, and there also
méeteth with another becke, rising at Ewell south of Nonsuch. Certes,
this rill goeth from Ewell by the old parke, then to Mauldon, & so to
Kingston towne. The Thames in like maner being past Kingston, goeth to
Tuddington, Petersham, Twickenham, Richmond, and Shene, where it
receiueth a water on the northwest side, which comming from about Harrow
on the hill, and by west of the same, goeth by Haies, Harlington,
Felthan, and Thistleworth into the Thames.
The next fall of water is at Sion, néere vnto new Brainford, so that it
[Sidenote: Brane.]
issueth into the Thames betwéen them both. This water is called Brane,
that is in the Brittish toong (as Leland saith) a frog. It riseth about
Edgeworth, and commeth from thence by Kingesburie, Twiford, Periuall,
Hanwell, and Austerleie. Thence we followed our riuer to old Brentford,
Mortlach, Cheswijc, Barnelmes, Fulham, and Putneie, beneath which townes
it crossed a becke from Wandlesworth, that riseth at Woodmans turne, and
going by Easthalton, méeteth another comming from Croidon by Bedington,
and so going on to Mitcham, Marton abbeie, and Wandlesworth, it is not
[Sidenote: Mariburne.]
long yer it fall into the Thames. Next vnto this is Mariburne rill on
the other side, which commeth in by S. Iames, so that by this time we
haue either brought the Thames, or the Thames conueied vs to London,
where we rested for a season to take view of the seuerall tides there,
of which each one differeth from other, by foure & twentie minuts, that
is fortie eight in a whole daie, as I haue noted before, except the
wether alter them. Being past London, and in the waie toward the sea:
the first water that it méeteth withall, is the Brome on Kent side,
[Sidenote: Bromis.]
west of Gréenewich, whose head is Bromis in Bromleie parish, and going
from thence to Lewsham, it taketh in a water from by east, and so
directeth his course foorth right vnto the Thames.
The next water that it méeteth withall, is on Essex side, almost against
[Sidenote: Lée.]
Woolwich, and that is the Lée or Luie, whose head riseth short of
Kempton in Hertfordshire, foure miles southeast of Luton, sometime
[Sidenote: Logus.]
called Logodunum or Logrodunum, & going through a péece of Brokehall
parke (leauing Woodhall parke on the north, and Hatfield on the south,
with another parke adioining) it goeth toward Hartford towne. But yer it
[Sidenote: Marran.]
come there, it receiueth a water (peraduenture the Marran) rising at
northwest in Brodewater hundred, from aboue Welwin, northeast of
Digeswell, and going to Hartingfeld burie, where the said confluence
is within one mile of the towne. Beneath Hatfield also it receiueth the
[Sidenote: Beane.]
Beane (as I gesse) comming from Boxwood by Benington, Aston, Watton, and
Stapleford, and a little lower, the third arme of increase from aboue
Ware, which descendeth from two heads: whereof the greatest commeth from
Barkewaie in Edwinster hundred, the other Sandon in Oddesey hundred, and
after they be met beneath little Hornemeade, they go togither by
Pulcherchurch, or Puckrich, Stonden, Thunderidge, Wadesmill, Benghoo,
and so into the Lée, which from hence runneth on till it come at Ware,
which was drowned by the rage of the same 1408, and so to Amwell, where
on the north side it receiueth the water that commeth from little
Hadham, through a péece of Singleshall parke, then by great Hadham, and
so from Widford to the aforesaid towne. From hence also they go as one
to old Stansted called Le Veil, branching in such wise yer it come
there, that it runneth through the towne in sundrie places. Thence it
goeth foorth to Abbats Stansted, beneath which it méeteth with the
[Sidenote: Sturus.]
Stoure, west (as I remember) of Roidon. This Sture riseth at Wenden
lootes, from whence it goeth to Langleie, Clauering, Berden, Manhuden, &
Birchanger (where it taketh a rill comming from Elsingham, & Stansted
Mountfitchet.) Thence it hieth on to Bishops Stourford, Sabrichfoord,
and beneath this towne crosseth with another from the east side of
Elsingham, that goeth to Hatfield, Brodocke, Shiring, Harlo, & so into
the Stoure, and from whence they go togither to Eastwic, Parmedon, and
next into the Lée. These things being thus performed, the Lée runneth on
beneath Hoddesdon, Broxburne, and Wormleie, where a water breaketh out
by west of the maine streame, a mile lower than Wormeleie it selfe, but
yet within the paroch, and is called Wormeleie locke.
It runneth also by Cheston nunrie, and out of this a little beneath the
said house, breaketh an arme called the Shirelake, bicause it diuideth
Eastsex and Hartford shire in sunder, and in the length of one medow
called Fritheie. This lake runneth not but at great flouds, and méeteth
againe with a succor of ditchwater, at a place called Hockesditch, halfe
a mile from his first breaking out, and halfe a mile lower at Marsh
point ioineth againe with the streame from whence it came before. Thence
commeth the first arme to S. Maulie bridge (the first bridge westward
vpon that riuer) vpon Waltham causie, & halfe a mile lower than Maulie
bridge, at the corner of Ramnie mead, it méeteth with the kings streame
& principall course of Luy, or Lee, as it is commonlie called. The
second arme breaketh out of the kings streame at Halifield halfe a mile
lower than Cheston nunrie, and so to the fulling mill, and two bridges
by west of the kings streame, wherinto it falleth about a stones cast
lower at a place called Malkins shelffe, except I was wrong informed.
Cheston & Hartfordshire men doo saie, that the kings streame at Waltham
dooth part Hartfordshire and Essex, but the Essex men by forrest charter
doo plead their liberties to hold vnto S. Maulies bridge. On the east
side also of the kings streame breaketh out but one principall arme at
Halifield, three quarters of a mile aboue Waltham, & so goeth to the
corne mill in Waltham, and then to the K. streame againe a little
beneath the kings bridge.
From hence the Lée runneth on by south on Waltonstow till it come to
Stretford Langthorne, where it brancheth partlie of it selfe, and partlie
[Sidenote: Alfred.]
by mans industrie for mils. Howbeit heerein the dealing of Alfred
(sometimes king of England) was not of smallest force, who vnderstanding
the Danes to be gotten vp with their ships into the countrie, there to
kill and slaie his subiects, in the yeere of grace 896, by the conduct
of this riuer: he in the meane time before they could returne, did so
mightilie weaken the maine chanell, by drawing great numbers of trenches
from the same; that when they purposed to come backe, there was nothing
so much water left as the ships did draw: wherefore being set on ground,
they were soone fired, & the aduersaries ouercome. By this policie also
much medow ground was woone, & made firme land, whereby the countrie
about was not a little inriched, as was also a part of Assyria by the
like practise of Cyrus with the Ganges, at such time as he came against
Babylon, which riuer before time was in maner equall with Euphrates. For
he was so offended, that one of his knights whom he loued déerlie, was
drowned and borne awaie with the water in his passage ouer the same,
that he sware a deepe oth yer long to make it so shallow that it should
not wet a woman to the knées. Which came to passe, for he caused all his
armie to dig 46 new draines fr[=o] the same, wherby the vow that he had
made was at the full performed. Senec. de Tra. li. 3. But to conclude
with the Lee that somtime ouerflowed all those medowes, through which it
passeth (as for a great waie not inferior to the Thames) and I find that
being past Westham, it is not long yer it fall into that streame. One
thing I read more of this riuer before the conquest, that is, how Edward
the first, & sonne of Alfred, in the yeare of grace 912, builded
Hartford towne: at which time also he had Wittham a towne in Essex in
hand, as his sister called Aelfled repaired Oxford & London, and all
this foure yeares before the building of Maldon; of some called Hertford
or Herudford betweene three waters, that is, the Lée, the Benefuth, and
Memmarran, or rather Penmarran: but how these waters are distinguished
in these daies, as yet I cannot tell. It is possible, that the Bene may
be the same which commeth by Benington, and Benghoo: which if it be so,
then must the Memmarran be the same that descendeth from Whitwell, for
not farre from thence is Branfield, which might in time past right well
be called Marranfield, for of like inuersion of names I could shew manie
examples.
Being past the Lee (whose chanell is begun to be purged 1576, with
further hope to bring the same to the north side of London) we come vnto
[Sidenote: Rodon or Rodunus.]
the Rodon, vpon Essex side in like maner, and not verie farre (for foure
miles is the most) from the fall of the Lée. This water riseth at little
Canfield, from whence it goeth to great Canfield, high Roding, Eithorpe
Roding, Ledon Roding, White Roding, Beauchampe Roding, Fifeld, Shelleie,
high Ongar, and Cheping Ongar, where the Lauer falleth into it, that
[Sidenote: Lauer.]
ariseth betwixt Matching and high Lauer; and taking another rill withall
comming from aboue Northweld at Cheping Ongar, they ioine (I saie) with
the Rodon, after which confluence Leland coniectureth that the streame
[Sidenote: Iuelus.]
is called Iuell: for my part, I wot not what to say of it. But héerof I
am sure, that the whole course being past Ongar, it goeth to Stansted
riuers, Theidon mount, Heibridge, Chigwell, Woodford bridge, Ilford
bridge, Barking, & so into the Thames.
[Sidenote: Darwent.]
The Darwent méeteth with our said Thames vpon Kents side, two miles and
more beneath Erith. It riseth at Tanridge, or there abouts, as I haue
beene informed by Christopher Saxtons card late made of the same, and
the like (I hope) he will doo in all the seuerall shires of England at
the infinit charges of sir Thomas Sackford knight, & maister of the
requests, whose zeale vnto his countrie héerin I cannot but remember, &
so much the rather, for that he meaneth to imitate Ortelius, & somewhat
beside this hath holpen me in the names of the townes, by which these
riuers for the Kentish part do run. Would to God his plats were once
finished for the rest! But to procéed. The Darwent therefore, rising at
Tanridge, goeth on by Titseie toward Brasted, and receiuing on ech side
of that towne (& seuerall bankes) a riuer or rill, it goeth on to
Nockhold, Shorham, Kinsford, Horton, Darnhith, Dartford or Derwentford,
[Sidenote: Craie.]
& there taking in the Craie on the left hand that coms from Orpington by
Marie Craie, Paules Craie, North Craie, and Craiford, it is not long yer
it fall into the Thames. But after I had once passed the fall of the
brooke, it is a world to sée what plentie of Serephium groweth vpon the
Kentish shore, in whose description Fuichsius hath not a little halted;
whilest he giueth foorth the hearbe Argentaria for Serephium, betwéene
which there is no maner of likelihood. This neuerthelesse is notable in
the said hearbe, that being translated into the garden, it receiueth
another forme cleane different from the first, which it yéelded when it
grew vpon the shore, and therevnto appeareth of more fat & foggie
substance. Which maketh me to thinke that our physicians do take it for
a distinct kind of wormewood, whereof controuersie ariseth among them.
The next water that falleth into the Thames, is west of the Wauie Iles,
a rill of no great fame, neither long course, for rising about Coringham,
it runneth not manie miles east and by south, yer it fall into the mouth
of this riuer, which I doo now describe.
I would haue spoken of one créeke that commeth in at Cliffe, and another
that runneth downe from Haltsto by S. Maries: but sith I vnderstand not
with what backewaters they be serued, I let them passe as not skilfull
of their courses. And thus much of the riuers that fall into the Thames,
wherein I haue doone what I maie, but not what I would for mine owne
satisfaction, till I came from the head to Lechlade, vnto which, as in
lieu of a farewell, I will ascribe that distichon which Apollonius
Rhodius writeth of the Thermodon:
Huic non est aliud flumen par, nec tot in agros
Vllum dimittit riuos quot fundit vtrinque.
[Sidenote: Midwaie.]
Next vnto the Thames we haue the Midwaie water, whereof I find two
descriptions, the first beginneth thus. The Midwaie water is called in
Latine Medeuia (as some write) bicause the course therof is midwaie in a
manner betwéene London and Dorobernia, or (as we now call it)
Canturburie. In British it hight Dourbrée: and thereof Rochester was
sometime called Durobreuum. But in an old charter which I haue seene
(conteining a donation sometime made to the monasterie of saint Andrews
there by Ceadwalla) I find that the Saxons called this riuer Wedring;
and also a towne standing betweene Malling and east Farleie, Wedrington;
and finallie, a forrest also of the same denomination, Wedrington, now
Waterdon, wherby the originall name appeareth to be fetched from this
streame. It ariseth in Waterdon forrest east of Whetlin or Wedring, and
ioineth with another brooke that descendeth from Ward forrest in Sussex:
and after this confluence they go on togither, as one by Ashhirst, where
hauing receiued also the second brooke, it hasteth to Pensherst, and
there carrieth withall the Eden, that commeth from Lingfield parke.
After this it goeth to the southeast part of Kent, and taketh with it
[Sidenote: Frethus.]
the Frith or Firth, on the northwest side, and an other little streame
that commeth from the hilles betwéene Peuenburie and Horsemon on the
southeast. From thence also, and not farre from Yalling it receiueth the
[Sidenote: Theise.]
Theise (a pretie streame that ariseth about Theise Hirst) & afterward
[Sidenote: Grane aliàs Cranus.]
the Gran or Crane, which hauing his head not farre from Cranbrooke, and
méeting with sundrie other riuelets by the waie, whereof one branch of
Theise is the last, for it parteth at the Twist, and including a pretie
Iland, doth ioine with the said Midwaie, a little aboue Yalding, and
then with the Lowse. Finallie at Maidstone it méeteth with another
brooke, whose name I know not, and then passeth by Allington, Duton,
Newhide, Halling, Cuckestane, Rochester, Chattham, Gillingham, Vpchurch,
Kingsferrie, and falleth into the maine sea betwéene Shepeie and the
Grane.
And thus much out of the first authour, who commendeth it also, for that
in time past it did yéeld such plentie of sturgeon, as beside the kings
portion, and a due vnto the archbishop of Canturburie out of the same,
the deane and chapter of Rochester had no small allowance also of that
commoditie: likewise for the shrimps that are taken therein, which are
no lesse estéemed of in their kind, than the westerne smelts or
flounders taken in the Thames, &c. The second authour describeth it
after this manner, and more copiouslie than the other.
The cheefe head of this streame riseth in Waterdon forrest, from whence
after it hath runne a pretie waie still within the same, east of
Whetlin, it méeteth with a brooke, whose head is in Ward forrest,
southwest of Greenested, which goeth to Hartfield, and so to Whetlin,
and yer long ioineth with the Midwaie. After this confluence it is not
long yer it take in another by west from Cowden ward, and the third
aboue Pensherst, growing from two heads, whereof one is in Lingfield
parke, the other west of Crawherst; and ioining aboue Edinbridge, it
doth fall into the midwaie beneath Heuer towne, and Chiddingston. From
Pensherst our maine streame hasteth to Ligh, Tunbridge, and Twidleie,
and beneath the towne, it crosseth a water from North, whereof one head
is at the Mote, another at Wroteham, the third at west Peckham, &
likewise another from southest, that runneth east of Capell. Next after
this it receiueth the These, whose forked head is at Theise Hirst, which
descending downe toward the north, taketh in not farre from Scotnie a
brooke out of the northside of Waterden forrest, whose name I find not,
except it be the Dour. After this confluence our riuer goeth to
Goldhirst, and comming to the Twist, it brancheth in such wise, that one
part of it runneth into Midwaie, another into the Garan, or rather
[Sidenote: Garunus, Cranus.]
Cranebrooke (if my coniecture be anie thing.) The Garan (as Leland
calleth it) or the Crane (as I doo take it) riseth néere to Cranebrooke,
and going by Siffinghirst, it receiueth yer long one water that commeth
by Fretingdon, and another that runneth from great Chard by Smerdon, and
Hedcorne, crossing two rilles by the waie from by north, Hedcorne it
selfe standing betwéene them both. Finallie, the Garan or Crane meeting
with Midwaie south of Yalling, they on the one side, and the These on
the other, leaue a pretie Iland in the middest, of foure miles in
length, and two in breadth, wherein is some hillie soile, but neither
towne nor village, so farre as I remember.
From Yalling forward, the Midwaie goeth to west Farlegh, east Farlegh:
and yer it come at Maidstone, it interteineth a rill that riseth short
of Ienham, and goeth by Ledes and Otteringden, which is verie
beneficiall to clothiers in drie yéeres: for thither they conueie their
clothes to be thicked at the fulling milles, sometimes ten miles for the
same: there is also at Ledes great plentie of fulling earth, which is a
necessarie commoditie.
Being past Maidstone, it runneth by Allington, Snodland, Halling,
Cuckstane, and Rochester, where it passeth vnder a faire bridge of
stone, with a verie swift course, which bridge was begun 1388 by the
lord Iohn Cobham, the ladie Margaret his wife, and the valiant sir
Robert Knolles, who gaue the first onset vpon that péece of worke, and
therevnto builded a chappell of the Trinitie at the end therof, in
testimonie of his pietie. In processe of time also one Iohn Warner of
Rochester made the new coping thereof; and archbishop Warham of
Canturburie the iron barres: the bishops also of that see were not
slacke in their beneuolence and furtherances toward that worke,
especiallie Walter Merton founder of Merton college in Oxford, who by
misfortune perished by falling from the same, as he rode to surueie the
workemen. Being past Rochester, this noble riuer goeth to Chatham,
Gillingham, Vpchurch, and soone after branching, it imbraceth the Greene
at his fall, as his two heads doo Ashdon forrest, that lieth betwéene
them both.
OF SUCH STREAMES AS FALL INTO THE SEA, BETWEENE THE THAMES AND THE MOUTH
OF THE SAUERNE.
CHAP. XII.
[Sidenote: Stoure.]
After the Midwaie we haue the Stoure that riseth at Kingeswood, which is
[Sidenote: Nailburne water also (as I heare) neer to Cantwarbirie,
but I wote not whereabouts: sée _Marianus Scotus_.]
fourtéene or fifteene miles from Canturburie. This riuer passeth by
Ashford, Wie, Nackington, Canturburie, Fordish, Standish, and
Sturemouth, where it receiueth another riuer growing of three branches.
After our Stoure or Sture parteth it self in twaine, & in such wise,
that one arme therof goeth toward the north, and is called (when it
commeth at the sea) the north mouth of Stoure; the other runneth
southeastward vp to Richborow, and so to Sandwich, from whence it goeth
northeast againe and falleth into the sea. The issue of this later tract
is called the hauen of Sandwich. And peraduenture the streame that
commeth downe thither, after the diuision of the Stoure, maie be the
[Sidenote: Wantsome.]
same which Beda calleth Wantsome; but as I cannot vndoo this knot at
will, so this is certeine, that the Stoure on the one side, and
peraduenture the Wantsome on the other, parteth and cutteth the Tenet
from the maine land of Kent, whereby it is left for an Iland.