1 66 THE DRVEI,OP.MENT OF ARCHITECTURE IN ESSEX. 



Except for defensive and religious purposes, and then only 

 in the shape of earthworks and Druidical remains, there are no 

 buildings left to us of a date prior to the Roman invasion, and in 

 this county, with the exception of some few earthworks, which have 

 been claimed as belonging to this period, we have nothing to 

 illustrate it, unless, indeed, we can satisfy ourselves that the 

 deneholes in the neighbourhood of Grays, and which some of the 

 members of our Society have done so much to elucidate and 

 delineate, belong to a remote period. That they were formed by a 

 race who had some idea of design, cannot, I think, l)e doubted 

 after looking at the plan published in The Essex Natur.alist, and 

 indeed, one may go so far as to say that not only had they an idea 

 of planning, but the construction of the arch must have been floating 

 in their brains, although maybe somewhat dimly. 



The invasion of Julius Caesar, in 55 B.C., marked the commence- 

 ment of a new era in this country, pretty much in the same way as 

 our proceedings in Matabeleland at the present moment will be 

 regarded in that country some centuries hence. The Romans at 

 this period were almost at the zenith of their power, and possessed, 

 undoubtedly, architects of great celebrity and engineers of great 

 resources. As we do now, when we invade a country inhabited 

 by wild tribes, so they did then ; signalise their victories by the con- 

 struction of military roads, and the formation of stations at certain 

 distances along those roads, with the view of holding in check the 

 sudden attacks of the half-conquered tribes, by the facilities thus 

 obtained for concentrating a strong force upon the point attacked. 

 The construction of one of these roads through this county had un- 

 doubtedly great influence over its future history. Starting from 

 Londinium (London) it proceeded through Durolitum (Romford) to 

 Ccesaromagus (Chelmsford) on to Canonium (Kelvedon) and Camu- 

 lodinum (Colchester), and so on to Suffolk.^ There were also 

 branch roads from Colchester, through Coppeshall, Braintree, 

 Dunmow to Bishops Stortford, and from Colchester through 

 Halstead, Hedingham, Yeldham, Ridgewell to Haverhfll,.and from 

 Chelmsford to Maldon and probably on to Bradwell-juxta-Mare, and 

 there were no doubt other roads of more or less importance through- 

 out the county. 



I Since this paper was written Mr. (.'•. F. Beaumont has startled the anti(iuarians of Essex 

 by asserting that the gth Iter of Antoninus did not pass through Romford, Chelmsford, and so 

 on to Colchester, but by Cheshunt, Braughing, Royston, and Chesterford. Without stopping to 

 discuss tills question, I think it cannot be doubted that a Roman road did pass through the first 

 named towns whether it was the 9th Iter or some other road not mentioned. 



