THE CHILTERN COUNTRY. 87 
’ mostly in a marshy state, and probably subject to floods. It ap- 
pears to have been peopled by the Celts or ancient Britons, who 
may have enjoyed possession of it for many centuries previous 
to the Roman Invasion. 
Besides the few worn remnants of the Celtic tongue found in 
local names, there is evidence of this in the numerous earthworks 
which are still traceable in the forest, and in the roads or drift- 
ways which lead up and along the hills, which are of the type 
usually recognized as Celtic. The Wycombe and Amersham 
valleys afford numerous examples of these roads, each leading to 
some mill on the stream, or to some place where a mill formerly 
stood. From this one may infer that the water-mill was known to 
the Celts. 
The roads or drift-ways in the forest appear to have been of 
local origin, and to have had no other object than that of ready 
communication between hill and valley. With one exception, my 
endeavours to make out continuous routes through the forest have 
been fruitless. This exception is a long, straggling road, which 
for distinction’s sake, I call by what appears to have been one of 
its names, Hollow Way. I first noticed its peculiar formation in 
Piper’s Wood, in the parish of Amersham, where it crosses the 
Amersham valley, whence I easily traced it to Penn Street (a name 
which decidedly confirms the notion that it is an ancient thorough- 
fare road). From Penn Street it leads to Beaconsfield, of which 
town it forms the main north and south thoroughfare; and a 
farm which stands near it, a mile or two beyond Beaconsfield, is 
still called Hollow Way farm. Here it leaves Burnham Beeches 
on the right, and enters the tract of now enclosed land which was 
formerly Farnham Common. 
Northwardsfrom Piper’s wood the road leads by way of Weedon 
Hill, to the town of Chesham, of which it forms the main street. 
Next it passes along Chesham Bottom and by the village of 
Hawridge to Cholesbury Common. Leaving the church of Choles- 
bury, and the large Celtic circular camp on the left, it proceeds, 
winding between the woods, for two or three miles, till it crosses 
the Turnpike road from Aylesbury to Tring and London. Here 
