Chapter I: Front Matter

[Picture: Book cover]

[Picture: The Abbey Church at Waltham]

Harold’s Town
And its Vicinity.

Waltham Abbey, Waltham Cross, Cheshunt,
and High Beech, Epping Forest.

A Handbook for Visitors,
BY
FREEMAN BUNTING.

WITH PHOTOGRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS
BY
J. A. C. BRANFILL.

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Published under the general editorship
of PRESCOTT ROW, in co-operation with the
URBAN DISTRICT COUNCILS OF WALTHAM, HOLY
CROSS AND CHESHUNT, by The Homeland
Association for the encouragement of Touring
in Great Britain.

Waltham Abbey: M. CUTHBERT, 13, Sun Street.
,, ,, WILLIAM PALLETT, jun., The Churchyard.
Waltham Cross: P. W. MITCHELL, High Street.
Cheshunt: AUG. J. HALL, 91, Turner’s Hill.
London: THE HOMELAND ASSOCIATION, LTD., 22, Bride Lane,
Fleet Street, E.C.

_FIRST EDITION_, 1905–1906.

_All Rights Reserved_.

Ordnance Survey Map of the Country around Waltham Cross and Waltham Abbey.

_Scale of One Inch to One Statute Mile_,

[Picture: Map]

EDITORIAL NOTE.

WITH a view to making future Editions of this Handbook as accurate and comprehensive as possible, suggestions for its improvement are cordially invited. If sent to THE EDITOR, The Homeland Association, Association House, 22, Bride Lane, Fleet Street, E.C., they will be gratefully acknowledged.

COPYRIGHT.

This Book as a whole, with its Contents, both Literary and Pictorial, is Copyrighted in Great Britain.

ADVERTISING.

LOCAL.—Terms for Advertising in future issues of the Waltham and Cheshunt Handbook will be forwarded on application to the General Manager of the Homeland Association, at the above address.

GENERAL.—Contracts for the insertion of Advertisements through the whole series of Homeland Handbooks, nearly fifty volumes, circulating throughout the country, can be arranged on application to the General Manager.

_CONTENTS_.

PAGE
_Bibliography_ 4
_Prefatory Note_ 6
_Chapter_ _I.—Describes Waltham Abbey_ 9
,, _II.—A Ramble to Epping Forest and High 31
Beech_
,, _III.—Describes Waltham Cross and Theobalds_ 35
,, _IV.—Describes Cheshunt and its 44
Surroundings_
_A Chronology of Waltham Abbey_ 53

BIBLIOGRAPHY.

“The Foundation of Waltham Abbey.” Rt. Rev. William Stubbs.

“History of the Abbey of Waltham.” John Farmer.

“The Parish of Waltham Abbey.” John Maynard.

“History of Waltham Abbey.” W. Winters.

“History of Waltham Holy Cross.” Rev. J. H. Stamp.

“The Norman Conquest.” E. A. Freeman.

“Architecture and Early History of Waltham Abbey.” E. A. Freeman.

“A History of Abbeys.” Stevens.

“London and its Environs.” Hunter.

“Circuit of London.” Hughson.

“Church History of Britain.” Thomas Fuller.

“Worthies of England.” Thomas Fuller.

“Cheshunt in the Olden Time.” Rev. A. Brown.

“Visitors’ Handbook to Cheshunt.” W. Winters.

“The Family Memoirs of the Rev. W. Stukeley.”

“‘Gentleman’s Magazine’ Library.” Vol. 17. G. L. Gomme.

“British Topographer.” Vol. 1. R. Gough.

“History of Herts.” Cussans.

“History of Herts.” Salmon.

“History of Herts.” Clutterbuck.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PLATES. _The Abbey Church at Waltham_ _Frontispiece_ PAGE _The Abbey Gateway_ 16 _The Eleanor Cross_ 34 _The Parish Church_, _Cheshunt_ 48 ILLUSTRATIONS. _Romeland_, _Waltham Abbey_ 11 _Ancient Bridge_, _known as_ “_Harold’s 15 Bridge_” _Waltham One Hundred Years Ago_ 19 _The Interior of the Abbey Church_ 23 _The Home of Foxe_, _the Martyrologist_ 29 _The Eleanor Cross showing detail of 36 carving_ _Theobalds_ 37 _Temple Bar_ 39 _In the Village at Cheshunt_ 45 _Cheshunt Great House_ 47

PREFATORY NOTE.

THIS little book is intended for the ordinary individual rather than the earnest student or the ardent antiquary. As I have attempted to embellish the dry bones of history and to present the undoubted beauties and charms of the corner of England that lies upon the Herts and Essex border in a manner likely to interest the former, my effort will possibly appear to the latter to have several shortcomings.

That part of the book dealing with Cheshunt has presented some difficulty. One day, perhaps, some industrious historian will prepare a really good history of the ancient parish of Cheshunt, and utilise to the best purpose the wealth of material that lies hidden away in the parish chests.

To the Rev. J. H. Stamp, I am indebted for reading the proofs and for some valuable information, as well as for his kind permission to use the chronological data prepared by him. To Mr. H. Collingwood Lee my thanks are also due for his kind assistance.

FREEMAN BUNTING.

WHITE WEBBS, July, 1905.

The Publisher’s Address to the Reader.

THIS little volume forms one of the Homeland Handbooks, a series founded in 1897, with a view of providing adequate information respecting special localities and districts. They are issued at popular prices, and contain everything likely to interest the intelligent visitor regarding the History, Traditions, Worthies, and Antiquities of the neighbourhoods with which they deal.

In each case the books are written by a qualified Author, with special local knowledge.

Other Volumes in the Series likely to interest the reader of this book are as follows:—

CLOTH. PAPER. Hertford, and the Country of Charles Lamb and 2/- 1/- Izaak Walton The City of St. Albans, its Abbey and its 2/6 1/- Surroundings Dunstable and its Surroundings 2/- 1/-

_A full list will be found on pages_ ii _and_ iii.

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The Homeland Association for the Encouragement of Touring in Great Britain, Association House, _22_, Bride Lane, Fleet Street, E.C.

‘DON’TS’ FOR PICNIC PARTIES.

THE Council of the Selborne Society urgently requests visitors to treat the country they are visiting with the reverence due to natural beauty.

DON’T gather such quantities of wild flowers and ferns that before the day is over you are obliged to throw them away on the roadside. By such gathering you injure the flora of the district, and you take away pleasures from many people who like to see flowers and ferns growing in their native haunts.

DON’T disturb the birds in their breeding season.

DON’T litter the places visited with waste papers or torn letters.

DON’T leave empty bottles and other débris of your picnic to vulgarise the spots, the scenery of which you have been enjoying.

HAROLD’S TOWN AND ITS VICINITY.

WALTHAM ABBEY, WALTHAM CROSS,
CHESHUNT, AND HIGH BEECH, EPPING FOREST.

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