"2nd. They do not lead to Roman towns of note, or notice such towns except when placed on the site of British fortresses. 66 3rd. They are attended by tumuli, like those of the Romans ; but usually throw out branches; which after running parallel for some miles are united to the original stem." The road soon after leaving Waltham divides into two branches; [as did an ancient British road] one branch runs up Gally Hill on the left hand side and the other branch on the right hand side of Gally Wood. These two roads are nearly parallel, Harold's farm separating them; they run along a ridge of hills; one over Nazing Common the other by the village of Epping in the Uplands (marked in the map Nazing Green and Epping Long Green respectively), and at the present time the latter continues as a grass road to Rye Common, and through several gates, passes by Latton Priory, running into the Harlow Road. Near to Latton Priory on the left hand side, a short distance from the Harlow Road, is a moated mound or tumulus, which is a distinctive feature of a British or Roman road. The road which runs by Nazing Long Green has been gravelled by the parish authorities, and no doubt its direction has been altered to suit the requirements of landowners in its vicinity, but it joins the primitive road at Rye Hill. It has been mentioned that formerly roads were made only to connect hamlets or villages, so that in many instances distant places were reached by very circuitous routes. The old road from Harlow and the neighbouring villages to London, which town is believed to have been a stronghold of the Trinobantes, ran over Rye Hill, to the village of Epping Uplands. This portion of the road has been previously mentioned as the King's Highroad from Rye Hill to Waltham Abbey. From the village it ran along the ridge of hills to the parish church, where it divided, as did the British roads, into two branches, one passing through Wintry Wood, so named in the ordnance map, across the forest, where a remnant still remains, now used as a cart track,* and continued through the forest to Coopersale Common, passing on the left hand side of Coopersale Hall, the property of the Houblon family, to the bottom of the hill. At the back of the brick fields, close to which the road or trackway may have originally run, is a moated mound, the existence of which is known as one of the characteristics of a British road. The other branch of the road, that divided at Epping Church, known as Lindsey Street, crosses the present high road at Epping, and passing between the Grove and Mr. Pearson's house, joins at the bottom of the hill, in Coopersale, the other division of the road, which ran by Wintry Wood and Coopersale Common. On the brow of the hill, by the railway cutting, in the grounds of the Grove, is another tumulus or mound, said to be evidence of the existence of a British road. These two roads, running on each side of Coopersale House, uniting at the bottom of the hill, formed the ancient road to London, passing by Stewart's Green, Theydon Garnon Church, and Abridge. When speaking of Lindsey Street as having been, perhaps, an ancient British trackway, it may be pointed out that Lindsey is the name given to the country round Lincoln. The name Lincoln is said by the Reverend Edmund Venables to be "taken from the leading characteristic of the place; "t the whole lowlying land was one wide mere or pool. “Llyn is the British name for a pool of water," so that Lindsey Street seems to have some connection with a pool of water. The idea derives support in the name of the lane which connects the Bury Lane with Lindsey Street-"Bolsover Lane"; for, as "over" is a Saxon name for shore, it too, apparently, has some relation to a large sheet of water. Meres are mentioned in the boundaries of Tippendene, a Manor belonging to Waltham Abbey. Epping is not mentioned in the list of manors belonging to it, entered * See map, Epping Ongar Trust. + "Walks through Lincoln," page 10. "Over" appears in the names Dover and Andover, &c. In Derbyshire there is a place called Bolsover, and a Bolsover Street in London. |