Regimen of Helthe" published by Andrew Boorde it is stated: —
"Ale is made of malt and water; and they the which do put any
other thing to ale than is rehearsed, except yeast, barme or
godesgood doth sophisticate their ale. Ale for an English man is a
natural drink, beer is made of malt hops and water; it is the natural
drink for a Dutchman and now of late days it is much used in
England to the detriment of many English people".
King James I was a frequent visitor to Theobalds, not only on
account of his pleasure in the chase but also because it enabled him
to avoid the frequent outbreaks of plague in London. It was in addition
a convenient centre for visits to the racing at Newmarket. To travel
from Theobalds to Newmarket meant that to join the main road from
London to Newmarket, which then went by way of Chigwell, Abridge
and Thornwood, the King had to take the ancient route through the
Forest which probably had its origins when the monks from Waltham
Abbey travelled to Theydon to serve their daughter chapel at that
hamlet.
What is now Epping Town had in earlier times been merely a
minor hamlet known as Epping Heath on the very borders of the parish,
its chief road connections being with Thornwood Common. The road
to Loughton went by way of Ivy Chimnies and Theydon. With the
bequest from a local man of a considerable sum to maintain this road,
the people of the hamlet were relieved of a burden.
Epping Heath probably had its small quota of alehouses. In 1611
a new road was made from Loughton to Epping climbing over Goldings
Hill and along the crest of the forest ridge to join with the older road
at Bell Common. This had the effect of shortening the King's route
from Theobalds to Newmarket by two or three miles. Speeedily Epping
Town developed and alehouses and inns were established to cater for
the passing traffic. By 1631, just twenty years after the opening of
the new road, Epping enjoyed five inns and ten victuallers whilst
Loughton had only three.
Road junctions and cross roads are obviously suitable sites for
inns and alehouses which glean the custom of those who pass
along both routes. The junction so created at about where the Wake
Arms now stands was an eminently suitable site for such an
establishment, as it is to this day.
Later in the same century a few miles away at Wanstead an
enterprising lady who styled herself "Lady Butterfield" commenced
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