River Gade Jacotts

River Gade
The Gade flows southwards

Post to the north Grove Mill
Post to the east Cassiobury
Post to the south Rousebarn

Grand Union Canal
Iron Bridge Lock Winding Hole
Iron Bridge Lock
Cassiobury Park Bridge. The canal lock was built 1796 – 1797 and this pedestrian bridge provides an historic route across it. It is in multicoloured brick, with stone coping. There are metal plaques numbering it  “167”.
Local Nature Reserve. This designation applies to the area between the Gade and the Canal


River Gade
Weir. The weir marks the site of a mill. This was a corn mill and probably on the site of one of four Domesday mills.   In the 19th it was ornamental and used to pump water to Cassiobury House. It was purchased by Watford Council in 1930 and was demolished because of decay in in 1956. The weir remains.

Watford Grammar School New Playing Fields
The field is shared with the Old Boys Association


West Herts Golf Course
The area covered by the course - which extends south and north of this square - was part of the parkland of the Cassiobury Estate and some features, paths, etc, can be found on estate management plans since the 17th.  It was known as High Park.  West Herts Golf Club was founded in 1890 and played at Bushy Hall. In 1897 they moved to Cassiobury and an area of High Park leased to them in 1911. This area was purchased by Watford Council in 1932. . In 1997, the club was granted a new fifty year lease.
Jacotts Hill – forms a high plateau in the golf course.

Whippendell Wood
This is ancient woodland owned by Watford Council  having been bought by them in 1935. It has been a Site of Special Scientific Interest since 1954. The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon for ‘Wippa's valley’.  It was once part of the Cassiobury Estate and includes an avenue of Lime trees dating to 1672 running diagonally.   The tree cover is mainly oak, beech, ash and silver birch and some non native trees some planted as specimens.   There are also bluebells and some rare fungi. There are many birds as well as bats, badgers and deer.  There are also a number of ‘dells’ or dips

Sources
Watford Council. Web site
Watford Grammar School. Web site
West Herts Golf Club. Web site.
Whippendell Wood. Wikipedia web site

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