ig6 A HISTOP.Y OF SALT-MAKING IN ESSEX. 



very narrow and no river of any kind flows into it. At all 

 events, there were many salt-pans round its shores in early 

 days. 



That the Romans made salt on our Essex coast is 

 extremely probable, but I know of no actual evidence. 5 That 

 the Saxons did so is certain ; for not a few of the salt-pans 

 mentioned in Domesday Book are stated to have been in 

 existence in the days of King Edward the Confessor. 



By the time of the Normans, salt-making was a considerable 

 industry upon our coast, and some forty-six salt-pans (salina) are 

 mentioned in the returns of the Great Domesday Survey made 

 in 10S6. 6 All of these (with one exception) were situate on the 

 northern half of our coast-line, m the Hundreds of Tendring, 

 Winstree, and Thurstable, as shown on the accompanying map 

 (Plate xxx). 



In Tendring Hundred, there were seventeen salt-pans, three 

 of which (and one other which was disused) had existed in the 

 time of the Confessor. Lawford, Wrabness, Ramsey, Great 

 Bentley, Thorrington, and Elmstead had one each ; Bradfield, 

 Great Oakley, Beaumont, and the three Sokens jointly had two 

 each ; while Moze had three. Several of these parishes and 

 others which follow lay mainly inland and scarcely touched the 

 salt water, as will be seen on reference to a map. Of these 

 seventeen pans, it will be found that five were situated on the 

 south bank of the Stour Estuary ; nine round the shores of 

 Hamford Water ; and the remaining three on the north side of 

 the Colne Estuary. 



In Winstree Hundred, further south, there were eight salt- 

 pans, none of which are stated specifically to have existed in the 

 time of the Confessor. Of these eight pans, Peldon and 

 Langenhoe (both on the channel separating Mersea Island from 

 the mainland) had one each and Great Wigborough (near the 

 head of Salcot Creek) had no less than six. In this Hundred, too. 

 is the manor or parish of Salcot, which must have derived its 

 name from salt-cotes which existed there in Saxon times, for 

 none remained at the time of the Great Survey. 



5 The late Canon J. C Atkinson considered (see Archaol. Journ., xxxvii., pp. 196-199 ; 

 also Essex Review, iii., pp. 276-277) that our "Salting-mounds" or "Red-hills" (which are 

 probably older than Roman times) were the sites of old salt-works. Others have held 

 the same view, but the evidence available so far does not suffice to enable us to decide 

 of what ancient industry these mysterious mounds are a relic. 



6 These were first studied by Dr. J. Horace Round (Victoria Hist, oj Essex, i., 

 pp. 3S0-3S2), to whose remarks on the subject I am much indebted. 



