A HISTORY OF ESSEX 



former had traces of a double rampart divided by a ditch. Nothing 

 now remains of this work. 



ORSETT. According to Morant there were in his time some 

 ancient entrenchments enclosing 4 or 5 acres, but it is possible he was 

 misled by the appearance of the remains of moats, banks and fishponds 

 appertaining to the site of a mansion of Bishop Bonner. 



PRITTLEWELL. There are remains of an entrenchment on Fossett's 

 farm. The enclosure is situate upon rising ground, and is of somewhat 

 oval shape, having on two sides the bank well denned, with outer fosse 

 in part. It embraced about 8 acres, and can still be traced in several 

 fields. At one point of the work was possibly a circular mound, but it 

 has been lowered, now rising only about 8 feet above the surrounding 

 land. 



SAFFRON WALDEN. Grimsditch Wood has a fosse along what was 

 probably one side of a camp or station, a purpose for which the com- 

 manding site would render it suitable. Of other sides of the fortress 

 there are traces, but nearly all the banks have been partially destroyed 

 and the ditches correspondingly lessened in importance. 



Though the features of the following five earthworks are, or were, 

 in the main similar to those of camps such as we have been considering, 

 it seems well to separate them therefrom and to group them together as, 

 happily, the period of their construction may be assumed with confidence. 



BENFLEET. In the Saxon Chronicle, under the date of A. 894, 

 we hear of Beamfleote having been already constructed by Hasten, the 

 Danish leader (Hcefde Hasten cer geworbt beet geiveorc <zt Beamfleote). The 

 Chronicle tells of his treachery, and of the conquest of his fort by part 

 of King Alfred's army, aided by the townsmen of London an interesting 

 story with a noble sequel, but one upon which we may not dwell. 



We seek in vain for satisfactory traces of Hasten's fort at Benfleet. 

 It has been thought that it occupied the high ground above the railway, 

 but as Dr. H. Laver, F.S.A., says in an admirable summary 1 : ' There 

 is quite enough remaining around the churchyard to mark out one 

 corner of the fortress.' 



Assuming this to be correct, the fort occupied a position by the 

 side of the creek. It is worthy of note that when the railway was 

 being constructed remains of burnt vessels were found in the waterway ; 

 valuable evidence when we remember that the Saxon Chronicle thus tells 

 us the deeds of King Alfred's men : ' And all the ships they either broke 

 in pieces or burned or brought to London or to Rochester.' 



SHOEBURY. The Danish work here is historically linked with that 

 of Benfleet, for we learn from the Saxon Chronicle that in 894, the 

 year in which Alfred's forces drove Hasten's army out of that fort, the 

 Danes constructed a fortress at Shoebury (fra bergas waeron }>a gegaderode 

 begen to Sceobyrlg on Eastseaxum & freer geweorc worhtun). As there are no 

 traces of other earthworks, it may be assumed that those fragments 



1 Essex Arch. Trans, n.s. viii. 233. 

 286 



