LEA BRIDGE.
In a field here quantities of wild orchids grew. The river was frozen one very severe winter; I remember walking across it.
TOTTENHAM MILLS.
These mills stood one on either side of the road leading to Walthamstow, by Tottenham Lock. They were formerly paper mills, and there seems to have been a good deal of bad fortune attached to them; they were burnt down 23rd February, 1778; rebuilt in a very substantial manner, and sold September 25th, 1779, when they were started as corn and oil mills. In January, 1816, they were so much damaged by a flood that they were not completely at work for nearly the whole of the following year.
I often accompanied my father on horseback. The road to the Forest was a favourite one with him, and, although I, too, enjoyed it, having to pass these mills rather took the edge off my pleasure, the noise was so deafening. I never could lose the fear that the horses would be frightened; I always felt thankful when we were safely past. There was another very large fire about the year 1860, and the mills have not been rebuilt.
The turnpike house and toll bar was near that spot. The charge was 6d. for a carriage, 1d. for a single horse, 3d. for a chaise, 4d. for a taxed cart, 1s. for a waggon with 4 horses, with 5 horses 1s. 6d., and for more than 5 horses 2s., and ½d. for each foot passenger not a resident in Tottenham. A few hundred yards further on by the Ferry Boat Inn there was another turnpike, and the same charges were made there.
THE MARSHES.
There are about 298 acres of marsh land. The several names are “Lock Mead Marsh,” “Clendish Hills,” “Mill Mead,” “Mitchley,” “Broad Mead,” “Wild Marsh.” The latter is the largest. Beautiful cowslips used to grow here. To cross from one marsh to the other there was a ferry boat at Page’s Lock, and another at Higham Hill, where passengers were punted over at a charge of 1d. each person.
The names of the common fields are “Down Field” and “Hale Field.”
The above were closed on the 5th April, and open on the 12th August for grazing of horses and cows belonging to the resident parishioners in Tottenham. Before the cattle went on they were all branded by the Pound Keeper. The marshes belonged to a great many different owners, who had small wooden land marks with their initials on each. In the case of the New River Co. their’s were iron. Some left their grass and made hay; others did not seem to care for it.
All the marshes on the East side of the River Lea have been sold to the East London Water Works, and those on the West to the Urban District Council.
The Rifle Butts were built about the year 1860, and have been twice burnt down. Mr. Delano, who lived at Asplin’s Farm close by, built himself a nice cottage with garden all round on his land on the Marshes for his own use and called it “Butts Farm.”
This side of the Lea is not so very much altered. The old Blue House was pulled down, and a new one erected where Mr. Page’s son lived and managed the locks. There was a beautiful wild garden on the right hand side, made by Mr. Page’s father, just beyond the boat yard, and had taken a very great number of years to cultivate. There was a quantity of high trees, and all sorts of wild flowers, and it ended with a stile on to the banks of the Lea. Unfortunately, during a very heavy succession of storms, some few years ago, this was all swept away. The forget-me-nots were especially beautiful large flowers; it seemed very sad they should be swept away after all the trouble and expense incurred.