238 THE ESSEX NATURALIST
along the river-valleys, and the frequency and distribution of
such name elements as 'ley' or 'leigh' (originally meaning 'wood-
land' and later 'clearing') and 'hey' (meaning 'enclosure' and
implying the presence of woodland). These, and other elements,
have already been commented upon by Dr Reany. These
fascinating and informative excursions into the by-ways had, for
the purposes of this paper, to be resolutely retraced to the main
track—that leading to a picture of the natural history of our
county about a thousand years ago. These and other by-ways are,
however, commended to you.
The fact that almost the whole of Essex was included in the
Royal Forest of Essex is well known, and in a pipe roll of 1170
there is a reference to "foreste de Essex". With partial deforesta-
tion, the forest came to be confined to the south-west of the
county and was known as Waltham Forest and in 1205 (in Rotuli
Litterarum Clausarum) there is a reference to "foresta nostra prope
Waltham". Waltham Forest covered what is now known as
Epping and Hainault Forests, but these are later names and out-
side the scope of this paper. Hatfield Forest is first mentioned
in 1243.
Of our early roads, only two are specifically recorded by name
in the period under review. One, in 1208, is Icknield Way, the
ancient British trackway that crosses a small portion of Essex
on its way between Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire. The
other, in 1181, is Stane Street, the Roman road between Bishop's
Stortford and Marks Tey.
Only one of our rivers and creeks, numerous though they are,
appears to have a natural history origin; many that may appear
to, like Lime Brook and the Roach, are back-formations from
earlier names of communities on their banks. Many others have
comparatively modern origins. The one exception is Limbourne
Creek (on the Blackwater below Maldon) meaning 'Lime-tree
brook' and dating from 1276, which is well towards the limit of our
date range.
In a county so rich in rivers, streams, brooks and creeks, it
is not surprising that there were many early fords and bridges.
With regard to the forty fords, eight appear in records before the
Domesday survey, thirteen for the first time in Domesday and
nineteen after the survey and before 1300.
The eight pre-Domesday fords were: Chingford (probably at
Cook's Ferry), 11th century; Copford, 995; Lawford, 1045;
Stanford (-le-Hope), 1068; Stanford (Rivers), 1068; Stratford,
1066-68; Wickford, circa 975; Woodford, 1062.
The Domesday records refer to: Alderford (Sible Hedingham),
Chelmsford, Chesterford. Fordham, Ilford, Langford, Rochford,
Sampford, Shalford, Stapleford (Abbots and Tawney), Stifford,
Uttlesford (Wendens Ambo) and Wormingford.
With only two exceptions, all the 'ford' names so far mentioned
are the names of present-day parishes. The two exceptions are
Alderford in Sible Hedingham and Uttlesford in Wendens Ambo.