River Oughton at Oughtonhead Common

Image: © John Lucas Taken: 20 Sep 2006

From the Hertfordshire Countryside Magazine, April 1967:- The Lucas family was closely associated with Oughton Head and owned much of the land around the common. William Lucas in his diary tells of his favourite walk out over Gaping Hills to Orton (sic) Head; Samuel Lucas drew and painted the countryside and birds; and Francis Lucas wrote poems which reflect the scene of fields and woods around and the men who worked them. They also helped shape the present aspects of Oughton Head as the following extracts from William Lucas's diary [A Quaker Diary, Published by Hutchinson & Co, 1933] show: 11th Month 7th, 1842: "Met the Leet Jury at Orton Head Common and they marked out a piece of ground to be given up to us in lieu of the cartway from the lane to our seven-acre piece. This piece I intend to plant" 12th Month 5th, 1842: "Finished planting my new clump at Orton Head. The ladies have all taken their share. J. Lister planted all the Poplars, Christiana Lucas all the Chestnuts, Sarah Lucas the Mountain Ash and Phebe Lucas the Abel Poplars." 12th Month 24th, 1843: "... and I have been planting Elms about Orton Head and Hungry Hill, also the small piece of land taken from the common, which should be called Ladies' Copse"

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