194
THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
The Stort ford thus became a strategic point, a fact which is
evidenced to this day by the remains of the pre-Norman castle
standing on what was formerly an island. The Stane Street,
for such is the Saxon name for the Roman road, has left its mark
upon the parish boundaries here as it has done further east near
Braintree. Leaving the valley and moving eastwards its depth
and abruptness are emphasized. At times it is difficult to
realise that the plateau level is interrupted at all, for the wooded
parklands of Hertfordshire seem to rise immediately behind
the well-tilled fields of Essex. A few roads do lead down to the
riverside where, from the peaceful meadows, the steep sides of the
valley can easily be seen. (The road to Little Hallingbury
Mill is in a deep cutting between the fields.) The Stort valley,
while it has facilitated easy communication with London, has
also carried the traffic so successfully that it left the plateau
country on both sides comparatively little developed. The
Cambridge Road and the railway took the stream of life past,
leaving the district in rural seclusion.
Away to the eastward the country had strong links with the
coast by the many streams of Chelmer drainage, while between lay
undulating land, in which river units became the basis of life.
The Roding has a surprisingly narrow basin considering its
length, for the Chelmer and Lea have been stealing its drainage.
Lacking large tributaries in its upper course the river remains
little more than a brook for the greater part of the year. The
floods which are experienced in the Woodford area are not due
to the size of the river so much as to the absence of artificial
regulation (a further sign of its insignificance as a water way,
since it has not been thought desirable to entail the expenditure
involved). At Leaden Roding, a good many miles from its
source, the Roding is only a few feet wide and can be crossed by
a simple wooden footbridge. The smallness of the river has
resulted in a certain scenic monotony over much of its drainage
area. This contrasts with the Pincey Brook country, which
occupies the heart of the area under consideration. Pincey
Brook waters have suffered much regulation ; instead of one
stream there are usually two and sometimes three. By careful
utilisation of the water it has been possible to provide excellent
meadows for grazing and sufficient moisture for the fields even
in the heat of summer.