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terranean sources; but the periods of its flowing, which are uniformly after local wet seasons, clearly prove the supposition to be founded on error.

In hedges near Watlington is found sambucus nigra, (fruc. alb.) common elder, with a white berry.

BINFIELD HUNDRED

is bounded on the south and east by the River Thames, which forms in those directions a line of separation between the counties of Oxford and Berks. The whole is in the Chiltern district, and is in general character more hilly than any other part of the county. Many of the elevations are richly clothed with beech. The basis of the hills is usually chalk, with a surface of loam, to various depths. But, where the hills recede, the soil is often a fine sandy loam, highly amenable to agricultural purposes. The amount of money raised for the poor, in the year ending Easter 1803, was 63591. 19s. 64d. making an average of 5s. 2d in the pound.

This hundred contains one market-town, Henley on Thames, and the parishes of Bix, Caversham, Eye and Dunsden, Harpsden, with Bolney; Rotherfield Grays, Rotherfield Peppard, and Shiplake.

HENLEY-ON-THAMES.

The tracts adjacent to this town, which Camden calls the "Hundred of Henley," are supposed to have been inhabited by the Ancalites, who submitted, or rather revolted, to Cæsar. Dr. Plot concludes that Henley is the most ancient town in the county, as the name is compounded of the British Hen, old, and ley, a place; and he conjectures that it might have been the capital of the Ancalites. With less appearance of correctness Dr.

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Gale makes it the calleva atrebatum of Antoninus. By writings of the date of Elizabeth it is shewn that the town was once called Hanlegang, and Hanneburg.

Henley is a clean and cheerful town, situated near the base of a cluster of hills, in one of the most agreeable windings of the River Thames. The buildings in the principal street are handsome and capacious, though far from regular.* The more ancient tenements, in the several minor avenues which diverge from the great thoroughfare, are mean and incommodious; but the beauty of the situation has induced many private families to construct ornamental houses; and the prosperity of the town is evinced by the improvements progressively taking place in the habitations of traders of every rank.

Henley is entered from the London road over a handsome bridge of five arches, built of Headington stone, and finished in 1786. The key-stone on each face of the centre arch is adorned with a sculptured mask, from the elegant chissel of the Hon. Mrs. Damer, who resided for some time in the neighbouring seat termed Park-place. The one mask symbolically represents Thame,

"Her neck in whiteness rival to the snows,

Her dewy tresses floating as she flows.”

The mask on the reverse key-stone exhibits Isis, with fish playing in the wavy honors of his lower face, and bulrushes inserted in the fillet which binds his temples. The views from the bridge are particularly fine. The meanders of the Thames abound with picturesque grace. On the Oxfordshire side a rieh spread

of

A door-way, now about to be taken down, attached to a house on the north side of the High-street, claims notice. This is evidently Saxon, of early Normans, and is composed of many receding mouldings, rudely carved. There is not any mention of a religious foundation at Henley; but probably there was some building which acted as a cell to a neighbouring endowed house, and to such a structure this door-way might form the entrance.

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