A HISTORY OF ESSEX 



Colne and Harwich. Mr. Redman observed in 1864, that ' At Holland 

 the mere basements of the east buttresses of the church are left, indicat- 

 ing the site of the ruins. Here, on a mile of frontage, three acres of 

 land have been lost in eight years, equal to a recession of one yard per 

 annum.' 1 In January, 1901, an extensive landslip took place at Frinton, 

 when hundreds of tons of the cliff fell away on to the foreshore and 

 into the sea. 



That land is elsewhere growing by the process of reclamation has 

 been indicated, but in this respect it is only a partial recovery of lost 

 ground. That the sea has in comparatively recent times burst over the 

 present artificial bounds is indicated by the marine beach-deposits of 

 shelly sand and shingle which are found on Shoebury Common. Similar 

 patches occur in Foulness Island, and in the marshes east of Burnham 

 and Southminster, Tillingham and Bradwell.* Among the shells the 

 periwinkle, mussel, and more especially the common cockle are to be 

 found. Formerly the shelly deposit at Tillingham was dug for manur- 

 ing the land. 



In early times the settlers being dependent on ready local supplies of 

 drinking-water from wells and springs fixed their habitations on the 

 Thames valley gravels or on the Bagshot Sands or Glacial gravels, or on 

 the Chalk. Settlements on the areas of London Clay were rare, until 

 with the finding of artesian water abundant supplies could be obtained 

 below ground and transmitted from a short distance. 



It is noteworthy that along the western side of the Lea valley in 

 Hertfordshire and Middlesex a number of important villages grew up on 

 the broad tracts of valley gravel, while on the eastern and more clayey 

 side in Essex the villages are few and far between, Waltham Abbey being 

 the only place of particular note, and this is situated on gravel. The 

 same remarks apply to large areas of London Clay between Brentwood 

 and Rayleigh. Over great part of Essex however gravelly and sandy 

 beds occur here and there in the Boulder Clay, and these throw out 

 springs, some of which, however, are far from permanent, failing in dry 

 summer weather. The larger independent masses of Glacial sand and 

 gravel afford more enduring supplies. 



Among the noteworthy permanent springs is one known as Crom- 

 well's Well, at Maldon, which issues from the Glacial gravels ; but there 

 are numerous others, not the least important being those which issue 

 from the Chalk (see p. 6). 



An old writer mentions a chalybeate spring at Witham, and another 

 spring that issues from a hill (probably Chadwell) two miles from the 

 river at Tilbury, remarking that 'It makes excellent Punch, and is ex- 

 tremely good for Tea.' 3 Other mineral springs have been noted at 

 Woodford, Chigwell, Brentwood and North Upminster. 



1 J. B. Redman, ' The East Coast between the Thames and the Wash Estuaries,' Pnc . Inst. C. ., 

 vol. xxiii. p. 1 86 ; see also W. H. Dalton, Geol. Mag. 1876, p. 492. 



2 See Whitaker, Geology of London, vol. i. p. 478. 



3 R. Russel, Dissertation on Sea Water, etc., ed. 5 (1769), p. 293 ; see also Morant, Hist, and Antij. 

 of Essex (1768), vol. i. pp. 39, no, 164. 



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