HERTFORDSHIRE is an inland county of England, hounded by Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire towards the north and west, Buckinghamshire towards the west, Essex towards the east, and Middlesex towards the south. Its li mits are principally artificial, except on the south cast, where it is separated from Essex by the rivers Lea and Stort. From Bailey to Royston, the Ikenild Street, one of the four Roman highways running through the island, di vides the counties of Cambridge and Hertford. It is in termixed with Buckinghamshire in a singular manner, so that its shape on the western side is rendered extremely irregular by projections and indentures. It is situated be tween the parallels of 51' 37' and 5', north latitude. Its greatest length may be reckoned at 25 miles, and its breadth from north to south at 35 miles. According to Halley, it contains 451.000 acres ; bt- according to the poor's rate returns, only 385,000. It is among the smallest counties in England. The general aspect of this county is pleasant. The northern part is the most hilly, forming a scattered part of the chalky ridge which extends across the kingdom in this direction. A range of high ground stretches out from the neighbourhood of Kings Langley, towards Berk hampstead and Tying. Another elevated ridge commences at St Albans, and proceeds in a northern direc tion towards Market Street. A number of streams take their rise from this side of the county.
Hertfordshire contains 1 county town, Hertford ; 8 hun dreds; 19 market towns ; 120 parishes; returns 6 mem bers to parliament, viz. 2 for the shire, 2 for Hertford, and 2 for St Albans ; and is in the province of Canterbury, and diocese of London. There are no places of any consc quence in it besides Hertford, St Albans, Royston, and Ware.
Most of the county is enclosed ; and in consequence of its being very ill situated for coals, the old hedges are every where filled with oak, ash, sallow, &c. Independenf of the wood thus distributed in hedge-rows, very fine tim ber, in considerable quantity, is spread over every part of the county. The prevailing soils are loam and clay, in ge
neral not of a very fertile quality. The vales, however, through which the rivers and brooks flow, are composed of a rich sandy loam. The most productive soil of this nature is on the west side of the river Lea. The principal clay district is on the north-east on Essex side. In the pa rishes of North Miny, &c. the general description of soil is extremely barren. The chalky soil prevails on the north side of the county. The basis, indeed, of the whole of Hertfordshire is chalk, intermixed with a great quantity of flints. The landed property is greatly divided, in con sequence of the vicinity of the metropolis.
The principal rivers are, the Lea, the Rib, the Quin, and the Colne. The Lea enters this county near Bower-heath, and traverses it in a direction nearly from north-west to south-cast, to its confluence with the Stort, after which it runs nearly south, washing the towns of Hertford and Ware, from the last of which it is navigable to the Thames. It collects, in its course, all the streams in the northern and eastern part of the county. The Rib, which rises in this county, joins the Lea between Hertford and NVare : the Quin also rises in this county, and falls into the Rib. The Colne rises near Kits-end, in Middlesex ; and after unit ing various streams on the south-western side, conveys them out of the county near Rickmansworth. In one part of its course, near Colney Park, it has a short underground passage, though not particularly observable, except in dry weather. The nine sister-springs of the Cam, and the springs which constitute the source of the New River, arc in Hertfordshire. The grand junction canal enters this county above Berkhampstead, and leaves it following the course of the Colne. The Watford canal commences near the town of Watford, where it unites with the grand junc tion, and goes to St Albans.