AGES OP BURIED FORESTS. 183 



tropie occur? to deal with. The author just cited the 

 anorymous author of Forests and Eorest Trees tells: 



" It is well established that for two thousand years past 

 this part of the coast has been inhabited, and that until 

 within no very recent period the whole hundred of Wirrall, 

 the aame by which this part of Cheshire is known, was 

 covered with forests. When the Romans possessed the 

 islaid, one of their chief stations was Leva Castrum, the 

 carrp on the Dee, the present city of Chester. It was 

 imprtant as being near the Welsh mountains, whither 

 lar^e numbers of the ancient inhabitants had fled for 

 I'efige, and from whence they made many sallies against 

 thdr invaders ; and important also because is was the 

 chief port from whence the Romans had access to the 

 Irish Sea. But situated as it was, a long way from the 

 sea, it was necessary to guard its entrance, and accord- 

 ingly aiother station was created on a small island 

 Hilbre Island near the mouth of the Dee, and close by 

 the shoie on which this village and now buried forest stood. 

 Some ranains have occasionally been found on this island 

 that renler this fact beyond doubt, but the island is now 

 greatly educed in size by the encroachments of the sea. 

 It is theefore quite reasonable to suppose that a village 

 or even i, town, may have sprung up on this shore in 

 Roman tmes, and that the timber of the forests may have 

 been clesred both to build Roman galleys and to give 

 space forthe raising of corn. The Dee certainly did not 

 diminish in importance when the Heptarchy was estab- 

 lished, (hester became the capital of Mercia; and one of 

 its kings 3 related to have sailed on the Dee rowed by 

 kings when he had subdued in war, among whom was a 

 king of Cumberland and a king of Man. There must 

 have therfore been plenty of ships around the mouth of 

 the Dee, ad it is highly probable that the village called 

 into existace by the Roman station still continued and 

 increased i the days of the Saxons. In the reign of 

 Henry II. .n abbey was erected at the town of Birken- 

 head, on te west shore of the Mersey, and not far distant 



