WATFORD, an ancient market town of Herts, is situated on a ridge of gravel overlooking the river Colne, on the Grand Junction Canal and on the London and NorthWestern Railway, branches of which here diverge to St Albans and to Rickmansworth, 8 miles soutli-west of St Albans and 17¾ north-west of London by rail, the distance by road from Charing Cross being 15 miles. It consists chiefly of one spacious street, about 1½ mile in length, running north-westwards from the river. A bridge connects it with Bushey on the south side of the river, a suburb chiefly of villas. The church, dedicated to St Mary, with embattled tower, and spire 100 feet high, was restored in 1871 at a cost of £11,000. The other principal public buildings are the masonic hall (1873), the public library and school of art, a building of brick in the Gothic style, erected in 1873-74 at the cost of £3400, the county court and sessions-house, the agricultural hall, and the literary institute. Among the benevolent institutions are the London Orphan Asylum, founded in 1813, rebuilt in 1870 in the Elizabethan style, and having accommodation for 600 children; the almshouses of the Salters Company, London, and the almshouses erected in 1876 by the countess of Essex for superannuated servants. There is a cemetery of 14 acres laid out in 1858. For the water-supply of the town a reservoir capable of containing one million gallons has lately been constructed. The town possesses corn-mills, breweries, malt-kilns, and an iron foundry. The population of the urban sanitary district (area 530 acres) in 1871 was 7461, and in 1881 it was 10,073. In 1882 the area of the urban sanitary district was extended to 871 acres; the population of that area in 1881 was 12,162....