y
of seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

LEA, river. (See Introduction, Section II.)

LEAVESDEN (about 21/2 miles N. from Watford) is a village in the pretty
district between Grove Park and Bricket Wood. The ecclesiastical parish
was formed seventy years ago from the parishes of Watford and St.
Albans. The huge brick building on high ground a little N. is the
Metropolitan District Asylum for Idiots; it was erected in 1869. The
church dates only from the formation of the parish and is situated at
Garston, 1 mile E. It was designed by Sir Gilbert Scott and is E.E. _The
Grove_, a large mansion of red brick, was erected in 1760 by one of the
Villiers family, but has been restored and altered. The house contains a
part of the pictures collected by Clarendon; comprising portraits by
Vandyck, Lely, C. Janssens, Zucchero, Van Somer, Kneller, Hogarth, etc.
The park is extensive and beautiful.

LEMSFORD is another modern ecclesiastical parish, formed sixty years
ago. It is nearly 3 miles N. from Hatfield, on the S.E. side of _Brocket
Hall Park_. It is widely known for its large mill on the river Lea. The
church, erected in 1859 as a memorial to the sixth Earl Cowper, is E.E.
and Dec., with a good E. window, also to the memory of the earl. The
tower (W.) is lofty and embattled.

_Letchmore Heath_ (11/2 mile S.W. from Radlett Station, M.R.) is a small
village.

_Letchworth_ (2 miles N.E. from Hitchin) has a small Perp. church,
containing a curious old brass to Thomas Wyrley, an early Rector (d.
1475). The effigy represents him with a heart in his hands. Another
brass, much defaced, dates from _circa_ 1400; it is to William Overbury
and Isabel his wife. The village, which almost adjoins that of Willian
(_q.v._), is ancient, and was once the property of Robert Gernon, a
Norman warrior who fought at Hastings. There was a church at _Leceworth_
at least as early as _temp._ Henry I., for during the reign of that
monarch it was given "with all its appurtenances and twelve acres of
land" to the monastery at St. Albans. _Letchworth Hall_, now a manor
house containing some good carved oak, was built by Sir William Lytton
(_circa_ 1620), and still bears on the S. front the arms of that family.

_Letty Green_ is close to Cole Green Station, G.N.R.

_Levens Green_ (1 mile S. from Great Munden) has a tiny chapel-of-ease
erected in 1893. The nearest station is Standon, G.E.R., 21/2 miles E.,
between which and the hamlet lies the Old No