IZAAK WALTON'S ASSOCIATION WITH THE RIVER LEA. 195
desdon, near the old chapel or clock house, and not far from the site
of the old cross. Mr. Whitley quotes as his authority an authentic
copy of "A circuit of the Bounds of the Parish of Great Amwell,
as they were recorded by Thomas Hassall, clerk, Vicar there, anno
1634, and so observed in his day"; in which the following mention
is made of the "Thatched House" :
"In the parish of Amwell, from Cunnisbye's, or 'The Bell,' we
go up the town to Hoddesden, taking in all those houses which
stand together on the same side as 'The Feathers,' 'The Thatched
House,' and others, till we come to 'The White Hart,' an inn
fronting the new Town-house over against Lord's Lane."
"The Bell" inn is still there, and Mr. Whitley is of opinion
that the front of Hoddesdon Brewery is built on the site of "The
Feathers," and that the house on the south side of the brewery
gateway, with enclosed square grass plot in front, is built on the site
of the old "Thatched House." His opinion is further confirmed
by his knowledge of certain deeds relating to "The Thatched
House" in which this site is indicated. "The Buffalo's Head,"
which had also a thatched roof, was some way off, and on the
other side of the road.
"Sir," says Venator, "you have angled me on with much pleasure
to 'The Thatched House,' and I now find your words true, that
good company makes the way seem short ; for trust me, sir, I thought
we had wanted three miles of this house till you showed it to me.
But now we are at it, we will turn into it, and refresh ourselves with
a cup of drink and a little rest."
Early the next morning (May 2nd), the anglers were at Amwell
Hill, now called Amwellbury, to meet the otter hounds of "noble
Mr. Sadler," as Walton styles him. He was the son and heir of Sir
Thomas, and grandson of Sir Ralph Sadler, the Chief Secretary of
State and grand falconer to Queen Elizabeth. He lived at Standon
(where there is a fine monument in the church to Sir Ralph), and
died there in 1660, seven years after the publication of the first
edition of Walton's "Angler."
Although there is no longer a pack of otter hounds maintained
in Hertfordshire, otters are still met with in the Lea and its
tributaries, where they, too often alas ! encounter an ignominious
death.
A day or two later (chap. iv.) we find Walton and his com-
panion on their way to "Trout Hall," an "honest ale-house," as