The 195 mile trail covers a large part of this beautiful, populous and rich county, incidentally one of the smallest counties in England, only 634 square miles. It is a county of rich contrasts. In the north-east there are wide open panoramas over low hills and farm lands as seen in the area around Barkway. Standing on Therfield Heath you can look down on to the flat plains of Cambridgeshire. Then in the south west there are the steep wooded escarpments of the Chilterns. The route visits ancient market towns, the Cathedral City of St Albans and countless picture postcard villages nestling in an intimate landscape of farmland and woods. In 1801 Hertfordshire had a population of about 100,000; now it is well over one million. It has never been a heavily industrialised area but it has seen its own industrial changes from malting and brewing, plaiting of straw for hats, paper making, industries associated with wool such as fulling (cleaning the woven cloth) and silk mills. Today technical industries and service industries dominate the industrial scene. A good introduction to the county, and how it developed from pre-history can be found in “The Hertfordshire Landscape” by Munby (1977) and “Hertfordshire, a Landscape History” by Rowe and Williamson (2013). People have settled the area since prehistoric times. Along the very ancient Icknield Way there is evidence of many waves of people. On Therfield Heath (see Leg 1) there is a long barrow of the Neolithic Age (2500 BC) and round barrows of the Bronze Age (1000 BC). There is evidence of the Beaker People in Hertfordshire. The hill forts of the Iron Age settlers gave way at the height of their power to the might of the Roman invasion. Many Roman roads go through Hertfordshire, e.g. Ermine Street and Watling Street, and our walk crosses the remains of the Roman town of Verulamium (St Albans). In the Dark Ages Hertfordshire was part of the shifting boundary between the English settlers (Angles & Saxons) and the later invaders, the Vikings. It was a long and turbulent time before the country became united. A good novel, which covers this period, is the “Conscience of the King” by Alfred Duggan. In the Medieval period the great abbeys were founded and one can still be seen in St Albans (see Legs 4 & 5). Many fine Medieval churches can be seen on this walk and short detours will be worth your while to seek out some of these (unfortunately due to the presence of valuable historic items most country churches are now locked on weekdays). During the 16th to 18th centuries many country estates were established in Hertfordshire e.g. Hatfield House, Knebworth House and Ashridge House. Some of the houses have not survived but our walk will take you through parkland, which reminds the walker of those estates. Walkers passing through Ayot St Lawrence will be going through such parkland and Ashridge still has its great house. It was first a monastery, then a great house, now a management college. The growth of London and the coming of industry saw some rapid development in the county in the 19th and 20th centuries. An example of this development was the Ovaltine factory at Kings Langley with the model farm to feed its need for eggs and milk. The factory and farms are all now sadly gone (see Legs 7 & 8). No major rivers flow through the county, however it is still famous for the large number of chalk streams and their associated wildlife (the River Lee or Lea, a tributary of the Thames has its source just north of Luton, flows though the county and is navigable up to Hertford). The Grand Union Canal passes through our county on its way north west (see Leg 7). The railways opened up Hertfordshire for industry and settlement and such towns as Hemel Hempstead and Watford grew from several hundred people to 80,000 plus. Many of the great road routes, which fan out from London (such as the A1, A5, A6, A10 and M1) pass through our county. Finally we saw the first garden cities (Letchworth and Welwyn Garden City) and the new town of Stevenage. The great orbital road, the M25, cuts its way through the county (see Legs 7 to 9) not forgetting the electricity pylons, supplying our thirst for power. Many famous people are associated with Hertfordshire. Samuel Pepys was a regular visitor who once when staying in Baldock noticed that the landlady was very pretty but “I durst not take notice of her, her husband being there”. Queen Elizabeth I, then a princess, was a virtual prisoner at Hatfield House when the Roman Catholic Queen Mary was on the throne. King James I had a palace at Royston (the start of our walk) from where he hunted on the lands of north Hertfordshire. The so called Rye House Plot to kill King Charles II was hatched on its borders. Izaac Walton of “Compleat Angler” fame knew the River Lea well. The earliest Christian martyr, St Alban, was executed in Roman times at the site of the city bearing his name. Francis Bacon lived at Gorhambury (an estate near St Albans th

When her sister, Denise, seven years her senior, and her husband Alistair drowned in a storm at sea, the beautiful nineteen-year-old Pepita Linford is left alone to cope with the care of their young children, Rory and Jeanie, as well as Alistair’s huge amount of debts. Exiled from his Scottish Clan for ever by his father, the Duke of Strathnairn, because he dared to marry an Englishwoman against his wishes they then settled in Hertfordshire. Alistair had been deprived of his allowance from his father and had lived on a fast-dwindling legacy from his mother. Virtually destitute Pepita has no choice but to travel to Scotland to throw herself and the children on the mercy of the Duke of Strathnairn. But sadly His Grace, consumed with hatred for the English, is not in the slightest pleased to see them, but grudgingly agrees that they can stay at his imposing Castle for a short while. Pepita is at once aware of the hostility and dislike of the Duchess of Strathnairn, who does everything she can to make life unpleasant for her and Rory and Jeanie. Save for the children Pepita finds herself on her own in a hostile country until she finds warmth, kindness and sympathy in the handsome and charming Torquil McNairn, Alistair’s cousin. Soon that warmth becomes an all-encompassing and consuming love for both Pepita and Torquil. But surely it is a passion doomed. Pepita is determined that she must never inflict Alistair’s fate on Torquil – to be an outcast for no other reason than that he loved a ‘Sassenach’ from England!

This eBook features the unabridged text of ‘Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane and Minor Poems by Edgar Allan Poe - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’ from the bestselling edition of ‘The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe’. Having established their name as the leading publisher of classic literature and art, Delphi Classics produce publications that are individually crafted with superior formatting, while introducing many rare texts for the first time in digital print. The Delphi Classics edition of Poe includes original annotations and illustrations relating to the life and works of the author, as well as individual tables of contents, allowing you to navigate eBooks quickly and easily. eBook features: * The complete unabridged text of ‘Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane and Minor Poems by Edgar Allan Poe - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’ * Beautifully illustrated with images related to Poe’s works * Individual contents table, allowing easy navigation around the eBook * Excellent formatting of the text Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to learn more about our wide range of titles

Gilda Wyngate befindet sich nach dem Tod ihres Vaters in gro?en finanziellen Schwierigkeiten und ist v?llig verzweifelt. Zu allem Unglück erh?lt das junge M?dchen unverhofft Besuch von ihrer egoistischen und habgierigen Schwester Heloise, die ihr zum Verwechseln ?hnlich sieht. Heloise ist fest entschlossen, den begehrtesten Junggesellen Londons, den Marquis von Staverton, zu heiraten - doch bestimmt nicht aus Liebe. Diese Einstellung befremdet Gilda sehr. Doch sie ?ndert ihre Denkweise, als sie Heloise tot auffindet-gestorben an einer ?berdosis Laudanum. In ihrer bedrückenden Notlage entschlie?t sie sich, den Platz ihrer Schwester einzunehmen.

This eBook features the unabridged text of ‘The Complete Short Stories by Guy de Maupassant - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’ from the bestselling edition of ‘The Complete Works of Guy de Maupassant’. Having established their name as the leading publisher of classic literature and art, Delphi Classics produce publications that are individually crafted with superior formatting, while introducing many rare texts for the first time in digital print. The Delphi Classics edition of Maupassant includes original annotations and illustrations relating to the life and works of the author, as well as individual tables of contents, allowing you to navigate eBooks quickly and easily. eBook features: * The complete unabridged text of ‘The Complete Short Stories by Guy de Maupassant - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’ * Beautifully illustrated with images related to Maupassant’s works * Individual contents table, allowing easy navigation around the eBook * Excellent formatting of the text Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to learn more about our wide range of titles

This eBook features the unabridged text of ‘Felix Holt the Radical by George Eliot - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’ from the bestselling edition of ‘The Complete Works of George Eliot’. Having established their name as the leading publisher of classic literature and art, Delphi Classics produce publications that are individually crafted with superior formatting, while introducing many rare texts for the first time in digital print. The Delphi Classics edition of Eliot includes original annotations and illustrations relating to the life and works of the author, as well as individual tables of contents, allowing you to navigate eBooks quickly and easily. eBook features: * The complete unabridged text of ‘Felix Holt the Radical by George Eliot - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’ * Beautifully illustrated with images related to Eliot’s works * Individual contents table, allowing easy navigation around the eBook * Excellent formatting of the text Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to learn more about our wide range of titles

This eBook features the unabridged text of ‘North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’ from the bestselling edition of ‘The Complete Works of Elizabeth Gaskell’. Having established their name as the leading publisher of classic literature and art, Delphi Classics produce publications that are individually crafted with superior formatting, while introducing many rare texts for the first time in digital print. The Delphi Classics edition of Gaskell includes original annotations and illustrations relating to the life and works of the author, as well as individual tables of contents, allowing you to navigate eBooks quickly and easily. eBook features: * The complete unabridged text of ‘North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’ * Beautifully illustrated with images related to Gaskell’s works * Individual contents table, allowing easy navigation around the eBook * Excellent formatting of the text Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to learn more about our wide range of titles

This eBook features the unabridged text of ‘James Fenimore Cooper by Thomas R. Lounsbury by James Fenimore Cooper - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’ from the bestselling edition of ‘The Complete Works of James Fenimore Cooper’. Having established their name as the leading publisher of classic literature and art, Delphi Classics produce publications that are individually crafted with superior formatting, while introducing many rare texts for the first time in digital print. The Delphi Classics edition of Cooper includes original annotations and illustrations relating to the life and works of the author, as well as individual tables of contents, allowing you to navigate eBooks quickly and easily. eBook features: * The complete unabridged text of ‘James Fenimore Cooper by Thomas R. Lounsbury by James Fenimore Cooper - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’ * Beautifully illustrated with images related to Cooper’s works * Individual contents table, allowing easy navigation around the eBook * Excellent formatting of the text Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to learn more about our wide range of titles

This eBook features the unabridged text of ‘The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin by Beatrix Potter' with the original high resolution illustrations, from the bestselling edition of ‘The Complete Works of Beatrix Potter’. Having established their name as the leading publisher of classic literature and art, Delphi Classics produce publications that are individually crafted with superior formatting, while introducing many rare texts for the first time in digital print. The Delphi Classics edition of Potter includes original annotations and illustrations relating to the life and works of the author, as well as individual tables of contents, allowing you to navigate eBooks quickly and easily. eBook features: * The complete unabridged text of ‘The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin by Beatrix Potter - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’ * Beautifully illustrated with images related to Potter’s works * Individual contents table, allowing easy navigation around the eBook * Excellent formatting of the textPlease visit www.delphiclassics.com to learn more about our wide range of titles

This eBook features the unabridged text of ‘The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher by Beatrix Potter - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’ from the bestselling edition of ‘The Complete Works of Beatrix Potter’. Having established their name as the leading publisher of classic literature and art, Delphi Classics produce publications that are individually crafted with superior formatting, while introducing many rare texts for the first time in digital print. The Delphi Classics edition of Potter includes original annotations and illustrations relating to the life and works of the author, as well as individual tables of contents, allowing you to navigate eBooks quickly and easily. eBook features: * The complete unabridged text of ‘The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher by Beatrix Potter - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’ * Beautifully illustrated with images related to Potter’s works * Individual contents table, allowing easy navigation around the eBook * Excellent formatting of the textPlease visit www.delphiclassics.com to learn more about our wide range of titles

This eBook features the unabridged text of ‘The Story of Miss Moppet by Beatrix Potter - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’ from the bestselling edition of ‘The Complete Works of Beatrix Potter’. Having established their name as the leading publisher of classic literature and art, Delphi Classics produce publications that are individually crafted with superior formatting, while introducing many rare texts for the first time in digital print. The Delphi Classics edition of Potter includes original annotations and illustrations relating to the life and works of the author, as well as individual tables of contents, allowing you to navigate eBooks quickly and easily. eBook features: * The complete unabridged text of ‘The Story of Miss Moppet by Beatrix Potter - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’ * Beautifully illustrated with images related to Potter’s works * Individual contents table, allowing easy navigation around the eBook * Excellent formatting of the textPlease visit www.delphiclassics.com to learn more about our wide range of titles

Dostoyevsky's own passion for gambling lays in foundation of this novel. He first gambled at the gaming tables at Wiesbaden and later, when his passion for gambling subsided, he played at Baden-Baden, often beginning by winning a small amount of money and losing far more in the end. Using his future work as collateral with his publisher in exchange for cash he was eventually given a final deadline to complete the novel or sell the rights to all his work in the next nine years. So great was the pressure that Dostoyevsky was only able to finish the novel on time using one of the very first stenographers in Russia and his wife-to-be, Anna Grigorievna.

This eBook features the unabridged text of ‘Typee by Herman Melville - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’ from the bestselling edition of ‘The Complete Works of Herman Melville’. Having established their name as the leading publisher of classic literature and art, Delphi Classics produce publications that are individually crafted with superior formatting, while introducing many rare texts for the first time in digital print. The Delphi Classics edition of Melville includes original annotations and illustrations relating to the life and works of the author, as well as individual tables of contents, allowing you to navigate eBooks quickly and easily. eBook features: * The complete unabridged text of ‘Typee by Herman Melville - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’ * Beautifully illustrated with images related to Melville’s works * Individual contents table, allowing easy navigation around the eBook * Excellent formatting of the text Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to learn more about our wide range of titles

This eBook features the unabridged text of ‘Pink and White Tyranny by Harriet Beecher Stowe - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’ from the bestselling edition of ‘The Complete Works of Harriet Beecher Stowe’. Having established their name as the leading publisher of classic literature and art, Delphi Classics produce publications that are individually crafted with superior formatting, while introducing many rare texts for the first time in digital print. The Delphi Classics edition of Stowe includes original annotations and illustrations relating to the life and works of the author, as well as individual tables of contents, allowing you to navigate eBooks quickly and easily. eBook features: * The complete unabridged text of ‘Pink and White Tyranny by Harriet Beecher Stowe - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’ * Beautifully illustrated with images related to Stowe’s works * Individual contents table, allowing easy navigation around the eBook * Excellent formatting of the text Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to learn more about our wide range of titles

This eBook features the unabridged text of ‘Poganuc People Their Loves and Lives by Harriet Beecher Stowe - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’ from the bestselling edition of ‘The Complete Works of Harriet Beecher Stowe’. Having established their name as the leading publisher of classic literature and art, Delphi Classics produce publications that are individually crafted with superior formatting, while introducing many rare texts for the first time in digital print. The Delphi Classics edition of Stowe includes original annotations and illustrations relating to the life and works of the author, as well as individual tables of contents, allowing you to navigate eBooks quickly and easily. eBook features: * The complete unabridged text of ‘Poganuc People Their Loves and Lives by Harriet Beecher Stowe - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’ * Beautifully illustrated with images related to Stowe’s works * Individual contents table, allowing easy navigation around the eBook * Excellent formatting of the text Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to learn more about our wide range of titles

This eBook features the unabridged text of ‘A Monograph of the Fossil Lepadidae by Charles Darwin - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’ from the bestselling edition of ‘The Complete Works of Charles Darwin’. Having established their name as the leading publisher of classic literature and art, Delphi Classics produce publications that are individually crafted with superior formatting, while introducing many rare texts for the first time in digital print. The Delphi Classics edition of Darwin includes original annotations and illustrations relating to the life and works of the author, as well as individual tables of contents, allowing you to navigate eBooks quickly and easily. eBook features: * The complete unabridged text of ‘A Monograph of the Fossil Lepadidae by Charles Darwin - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’ * Beautifully illustrated with images related to Darwin’s works * Individual contents table, allowing easy navigation around the eBook * Excellent formatting of the text Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to learn more about our wide range of titles

The Delphi Poets Series offers readers the works of literature's finest poets, with superior formatting. This volume presents the complete poetical works of John Donne, with beautiful illustrations and the usual Delphi bonus material. Donne's sparkling wit and imaginative conceits have delighted readers over the centuries; now you can own his entire poetical genius on your eReader! (3MB Version 1) * Beautifully illustrated with images relating to Donne's life and works * Concise introductions to the poetry and other works * Images of how the poetry books were first printed, giving your eReader a taste of the original texts * Excellent formatting of the poems * Special chronological and alphabetical contents tables for the poetry * Easily locate the poems you want to read * Almost the complete prose, with rare texts like Donnes study of suicide BIATHANATOS, appearing for the first time in digital print * Includes Donne's letters - spend hours exploring the poet's personal correspondence * Features three biographies, including Izaak Waltons famous contemporary memoir - discover Donne's literary life in detail! * Scholarly ordering of texts into chronological order and literary genres Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to browse our range of exciting titles CONTENTS: The Poetry Collections SONGS AND SONNETS ELEGIES DIVINE POEMS HOLY SONNETS OTHER DIVINE POEMS SATIRES MARRIAGE SONGS VERSE LETTERS EPICEDES AND OBSEQUIES EPIGRAMS INFINITATI SACRUM THE ANNIVERSARIES LATIN POEMS DOUBTFUL VERSES The Poems LIST OF POEMS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER LIST OF POEMS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER The Prose BIATHANATOS PSEUDO-MARTYR IGNATIUS HIS CONCLAVE DEVOTIONS UPON EMERGENT OCCASIONS PARADOXES PROBLEMS The Letters LIST OF LETTERS The Biographies THE LIFE OF DR. JOHN DONNE by Izaak Walton JOHN DONNE by Arthur Symons JOHN DONNE by Robert Lynd Please click here to browse our other titles

This eBook features the unabridged text of ‘The Power of Movement in Plants by Charles Darwin - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’ from the bestselling edition of ‘The Complete Works of Charles Darwin’. Having established their name as the leading publisher of classic literature and art, Delphi Classics produce publications that are individually crafted with superior formatting, while introducing many rare texts for the first time in digital print. The Delphi Classics edition of Darwin includes original annotations and illustrations relating to the life and works of the author, as well as individual tables of contents, allowing you to navigate eBooks quickly and easily. eBook features: * The complete unabridged text of ‘The Power of Movement in Plants by Charles Darwin - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’ * Beautifully illustrated with images related to Darwin’s works * Individual contents table, allowing easy navigation around the eBook * Excellent formatting of the text Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to learn more about our wide range of titles

This eBook features the unabridged text of ‘Queen Lucia by E. F. Benson - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’ from the bestselling edition of ‘The Collected Works of E. F. Benson’. Having established their name as the leading publisher of classic literature and art, Delphi Classics produce publications that are individually crafted with superior formatting, while introducing many rare texts for the first time in digital print. The Delphi Classics edition of Benson includes original annotations and illustrations relating to the life and works of the author, as well as individual tables of contents, allowing you to navigate eBooks quickly and easily. eBook features: * The complete unabridged text of ‘Queen Lucia by E. F. Benson - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’ * Beautifully illustrated with images related to Benson’s works * Individual contents table, allowing easy navigation around the eBook * Excellent formatting of the text Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to learn more about our wide range of titles

This eBook features the unabridged text of ‘Lucia’s Progress by E. F. Benson - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’ from the bestselling edition of ‘The Collected Works of E. F. Benson’. Having established their name as the leading publisher of classic literature and art, Delphi Classics produce publications that are individually crafted with superior formatting, while introducing many rare texts for the first time in digital print. The Delphi Classics edition of Benson includes original annotations and illustrations relating to the life and works of the author, as well as individual tables of contents, allowing you to navigate eBooks quickly and easily. eBook features: * The complete unabridged text of ‘Lucia’s Progress by E. F. Benson - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’ * Beautifully illustrated with images related to Benson’s works * Individual contents table, allowing easy navigation around the eBook * Excellent formatting of the text Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to learn more about our wide range of titles

This eBook features the unabridged text of ‘The Rubicon by E. F. Benson - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’ from the bestselling edition of ‘The Collected Works of E. F. Benson’. Having established their name as the leading publisher of classic literature and art, Delphi Classics produce publications that are individually crafted with superior formatting, while introducing many rare texts for the first time in digital print. The Delphi Classics edition of Benson includes original annotations and illustrations relating to the life and works of the author, as well as individual tables of contents, allowing you to navigate eBooks quickly and easily. eBook features: * The complete unabridged text of ‘The Rubicon by E. F. Benson - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)’ * Beautifully illustrated with images related to Benson’s works * Individual contents table, allowing easy navigation around the eBook * Excellent formatting of the text Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to learn more about our wide range of titles