CENTURIATION IN ESSEX. 213
fashion. Particular attention may be drawn to the three
Hanningfield sites and the position of the Tiptree station between
Danbury and Colchester. The suggested centuriation road
between these two last-named places may offer some explanation
for the peculiar way in which the Balkerne Gate stands sideways
in the wall. From its position it would directly receive this road
passing along Tiptree Heath via the Roman station. In figure 1
is shown an enlarged portion of the country around Tiptree
Fig. 1—Probable Remains of Centuriation near Colchester.
and Colchester. The spacing of these suspected remnants of
Roman centuriation is particularly interesting. It will be
noticed that both the small square with the short quarter mile
side and the larger square—or parts of squares—with a side a
little over a mile (about 9 furlongs) form a predominating part
in this road pattern and that the apparently once complete
rectangular pattern can be reconstructed. The repetition of
these particular distances seems to be one of the strongest