The Book of the Axe; Containing a Piscatorial Description of That Stream, with Brief Histories of the More Remarkable Places on Its Banks, and a Variety of Tales, Songs, and Anecdotes (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1844. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... FLOODS IN MODERN AND ANCIENT TIMES. 105 CHAPTER XII. We sit down to write this chapter when the rain, which has continued unremittingly for several hours, is literally dashing in streams against our window. The valley of the Axe is completely inundated; we have just returned from viewing it, and a very interesting sight it has proved. The valley has the appearance of an immense lake, and the tops of the highest hedges, which appear here and there, seem like little islands dotting its surface. From the number of its tributaries, and the shallowness of its banks, the river quickly inundates the adjacent meadows--but the water is not long in subsiding again. We are informed that Bow bridge is about eighty feet above the level of the sea; which makes the fall of the river in that interval rather more than thirteen feet in a mile--the distance being about six miles. In former times, when the bridges were very defective, an inundation of the river for any length of time must have been a source of considerable inconvenience--preventing all communication between the inhabitants of both sides. In illustration of this remark, we can relate an event which will serve, also, to contrast the facilities of communication enjoyed at the present day with the state of the roads and bridges, and of the lands adjoining the river, five centuries ago: --The yeais 1334 and 1335 are noted by our annalists as having been remarkable for violent storms and floods. Holinshed relates: --"This yeare (1334) on Sainct Clemente's ilaye at night, which falleth on the three-and-twentieth of November, throughe a marvellous inundation and rising of the sea all alongest by the coastes of this realme, but especially about the Thames, the sea bankes or walles were broken and borne downe with violence of ...