“The Town of Hexton is seated at the Foot of the Mountains, whence issue many Springs of Water; the Mountains are a continued Rock of Stone.”

HIGH CROSS (3 miles N. from Ware) is a village and parish on the Old North Road.  It has a modern Dec. church of grey stone, containing several good stained-glass windows, but little of architectural interest. Youngsbury, a beautiful but small park, S. from the village, has a fine Georgian residence (C.  B. Giles-Puller, Esq.).  The little river Rib skirts the park on the S. side.  There is a small hamlet of the same name 11/4 mile S.W. from[j] Radlett Station (M.R.).

High Street is a small hamlet on the Cambridge Road, near the river Quin.  Braughing Station (G.E.R.) is 11/4 mile S.

High Wych (2 miles N. from Harlow Station, Essex) has an E.E. church, built in 1861; the marble reredos, finely worked, was added in 1871.  The trade in malt is large for so small a place.

Highley Hill (1 mile S.W. from Ashwell Station, G.N.R.) is on the Cambridgeshire border.

HINXWORTH, formerly Hamsteworde and Henxworth (4 miles N. from Baldock), is close to the Bedfordshire border.  The parish is very ancient.  The church of St. Nicholas was erected about 1400 on the site of an earlier structure.  It is a mixture of several styles, partly restored in 1881.  Note (1) two canopied Perp. niches in S.E. angle of nave, where was formerly the lady-chapel; (2) brass to John Lambard, a master of the Mercers’ Company (d. 1487), and Anne his wife; (3) oak roof in chancel, added in 1892; (4) rood-stairs.  William I. divided the vill between three Normans, Peter de Valoignes, Hardwin de Scalers, and William Earl of Ewe, who owned much other property in Hertfordshire.  The vill was subsequently divided into two manors, one of which belonged to William de Cantilupe, a Steward and Councillor to King John, and the other, during the reign of Henry VII., to John Lambard mentioned above.  This manor was called Pulter; and the old house (now Hinxworth Place, 1/2 mile S. from the village) was once inhabited by some Cistercian monks of the Monastery of Pipewell (Northants).  Note the clunch walls and mullioned windows, in one of which, designed in stained glass, are the armorial bearings of three former owners.  Two hundred years ago the village consisted of thirty-five dwellings, three of which were almshouses.

[Illustration:  HITCHIN]

HITCHIN is an ancient town, full of interest, 32 miles N. from King’s Cross, G.N.R.  It was formerly called Hitche, very probably from the little river Hiz, which rises at Well Head, about 11/2 mile S.W. from the centre of the town.  Roman coins and pottery, and even prehistoric implements have been found in great quantities in the neighbourhood, and there are traces of a prehistoric lake bed, to the S.E. The Priory, immediately S. (R.  H. J. Delme-Radcliffe, Esq., J.P.), occupies the site