i6 



LEA VALLEY. 



marshes, which were unusually favourable to such habitations. 

 In mediaeval and later times the marshes were deserted, and the 

 inhabitants of the river valley lived on older river deposits above 

 the reach of floods, and obtained their water supply from the 

 lower beds of the gravel on which their 

 houses stood. And in the case of isolated 

 dwellings, protection from robbers was 

 obtained by the digging of a moat around 

 the premises which was supplied with 

 water from the same source. Moated 

 houses of this kind are not uncommon in 

 southern Essex and elsewhere, though at 

 the present day the moats are often more 

 or less filled up. 



APPENDIX II. 



Channels of the River Lea. 



Though Norden's Map of Essex (1594), 

 shows the Lee with two or three channels 

 from Waltham Abbey to its outfall into 

 the Thames, the map of Beacontree Hun- 

 dred and the adjacent parts of South-west 

 Essex in Morant's History of Essex (1768), 

 reveals but one channel below Waltham 

 Abbey. Of Waltham Morant remarks : — 

 " Waltham is the most considerable place 

 in this Half Hundred, to which it gives its 

 name, and also to part of the Forest of 

 Essex. . . 'Tis situated near the river Ley, 

 where its parting into several streams, 

 forms divers little islands." 



Both the above-mentioned maps are 

 The Riv-er Lea doubtless trustworthy in their record of the 



Fig. 9 



from its junction with niunber of channels 



the Stort southward, as 



locally existing in 

 their respective periods, though without 

 claims to minute accuracy as regards the 

 shaoe of some island enclosed by the 

 streams, or other points of that kind. 



[Both Mr. Holmes and the Secretary desire to record their gratefnl thanks to Mr. 

 Sharrock, .\Ies_grs. S. Pearson & Son's representative- at the works, to Col. Byan, the 

 Engineer to the East London Water Company, and to Mr. Traill and .Mr. Marsh, Assistant 

 Engineers, for much kind aid and sympathy during the numerous visits made to the 

 works.— Ed.] 



shown on Norden's Map 

 of Essex (1594). W, Wal- 

 tham ; C, Out.all of the 

 Ching ; T, Tottenham ; 

 S, Stratford. 



