171
THE PRESENT FLORA OF WEST HAM
WASTES.
By G. LISTER, F.L.S.
[Read 28th November, 1936.]
(With 2 Plates.)
THE open land still remaining in the Borough of West Ham
consists for the most part of made-up ground, that is,
it is formed of earth moved there in order to raise the level
above the reach of floods. Much of the soil was obtained from
scouring out and widening of the ancient tidal waterways—
branches of the River Lea—and from digging a new flood channel,
in connection with the recent Flood Prevention Works. This
virgin soil has been colonized by a host of plants, a few specimens
of which have been brought from time to time to the Essex
Museum; some of them were of such interest that several ex-
peditions to the spot were made in October, 1936, by three of our
members, Miss E. A. Greaves, Mr. Percy Thompson, and the
writer, in order to obtain a fairly detailed survey of the "Waste
flora." Over a hundred different species of plants were noted.
Before proceeding to our main theme, brief reference may be
made to some events in the past history of this area, namely,
the cutting of the Channelsea River and other artificial branches
of the Lea by King Alfred, in a.d. 895, whereby the ships of
marauding Danes who had proceeded higher up the river were
left stranded; the building of two stone bridges, the first of
stone in England, one, high-arched, over the Lea at Bow, Bow
Bridge, the other about two-thirds of a mile to the east, over the
Channelsea River; and also raising a firm causeway over the
marshes between them; this was done by order of "Good
Queen Maud," wife of Henry I, the youngest of the Conqueror's
sons, very early in the 12th century ; she also bought Wiggins
Mill, which stood on the site of the present Abbey Mills, on the
Channelsea stream, for the perpetual maintenance and repair of
the bridges and causeway. Another event of importance was the
founding of West Ham Abbey, or Stratford Langthorne Abbey,
in 1135, by William de Montfichet : this was an establishment of
Cistercian monks, who by their rule were devoted to agriculture
and horticulture. After four centuries of prosperity, West Ham
A