Hidden Henley

My picture shows where water empties in the Thames at a point on Thameside in Henley between the public launching slipway at the foot of New Street and the green building on the river which is still marked where the Hooper family rented out pleasure boats. Is this the output of the curious Assendon (sometimes spelt Assenden) Spring?

Although usually dormant, this feature made sure it came to our attention in 2001 when it flooded across roads on its way from beyond Stonor, and into resident’s cellars. At Lower Assendon a footbridge has been built with a plate commemorating this incident which lasted several weeks. The stream which is usually invisible at the side of the roads has been active at intervals over the centuries and a report in Emily Climesnson’s guide book says that “in 1674 it ran with such violence that several mills might have been driven with the current”. However, there’s an additional peculiar story from 1774 that she describes in this way: “a little girl playing in the street by the side of the stream, fell in, and was carried with great rapidity underground the whole length of New Street, to the river. Some men who saw the incident ran down to the river and reached it in time to catch the child and rescue her from a watery grave; she sustained little injury and lived to be the mother of a family.” This amazing story is also told in most of the other local history books that I own including Michael Jones’ Guide to Henley, Harry Tomalin’s Book of Henley-on-Thames and Margaret Shaida’s Views of Henley where the author says that storms around this time created such unease that a group of men were employed to watch over the bridge since nothing could be done to save it during the floods. This was just 5 weeks before the incident of the girl being washed away underground, and the entire bridge was swept away!

Does anyone know the name of the remarkable girl who survived her underground nightmare?