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TourthroughtheEasternCountiesofEngland1TourthroughtheEasternCountiesofEnglandTourthroughtheEasternCountiesofEngland2TourthroughtheEasternCountiesofEnglandIbeganmytravelswhereIpurposetoendthem,viz.,attheCityofLondon,andthereforemyaccountofthecityitselfwillcomelast,thatistosay,atthelatterendofmysouthernprogress;andasinthecourseofthisjourneyIshallhavemanyoccasionstocallitacircuit,ifnotacircle,soIchosetogiveitthetitleofcircuitsintheplural,becauseIdonotpretendtohavetravelleditallinonejourney,butinmany,andsomeofthemmanytimesover;thebettertoinformmyselfofeverythingIcouldfindworthtakingnoticeof.IhopeitwillappearthatIamnottheless,butthemorecapableofgivingafullaccountofthings,byhowmuchthemoredeliberationIhavetakenintheviewofthem,andbyhowmuchtheoftenerIhavehadopportunitytoseethem.Isetoutthe3rdofApril,1722,goingfirsteastward,andtookwhatIthinkImayveryhonestlycallacircuitintheveryletterofit;forIwentdownbythecoastoftheThamesthroughtheMarshesorHundredsonthesouthsideofthecountyofEssex,tillIcametoMalden,Colchester,andHarwich,thencecontinuingonthecoastofSuffolktoYarmouth;thenceroundbytheedgeofthesea,onthenorthandwestsideofNorfolk,toLynn,Wisbech,andtheWash;thencebackagain,onthenorthsideofSuffolkandEssex,tothewest,endingitinMiddlesex,neartheplacewhereIbeganit,reservingthemiddleorcentreoftheseveralcountiestosomelittleexcursions,whichImadebythemselves.PassingBowBridge,wherethecountyofEssexbegins,thefirstobservationImadewas,thatallthevillageswhichmaybecalledtheneighbourhoodofthecityofLondononthis,aswellasontheothersidesthereof,whichIshallspeaktointheirorder;Isay,allthosevillagesareincreasedinbuildingstoastrangedegree,withinthecompassofabouttwentyorthirtyyearspastatthemost.ThevillageofStratford,thefirstinthiscountyfromLondon,isnotTourthroughtheEasternCountiesofEngland3onlyincreased,but,Ibelieve,morethandoubledinthattime;everyvacancyfilledupwithnewhouses,andtwolittletownsorhamlets,astheymaybecalled,ontheforestsideofthetownentirelynew,namelyMarylandPointandtheGravelPits,onefacingtheroadtoWoodfordandEpping,andtheotherfacingtheroadtoIlford;andasforthehitherpart,itisalmostjoinedtoBow,inspiteofrivers,canals,marshygrounds,&c.NoristhisincreaseofbuildingthecaseonlyinthisandalltheothervillagesroundLondon;buttheincreaseofthevalueandrentofthehousesformerlystandinghas,inthatcompassofyearsabove-mentioned,advancedtoaverygreatdegree,andImayventuretosayatleastthefifthpart;somethinkathirdpart,abovewhattheywerebefore.Thisisindeedmostvisible,speakingofStratfordinEssex;butitisthesamethinginproportioninothervillagesadjacent,especiallyontheforestside;asatLowLeyton,Leytonstone,Walthamstow,Woodford,Wanstead,andthetownsofWestHam,Plaistow,Upton,etc.Inallwhichplaces,ornearthem(astheinhabitantssay),aboveathousandnewfoundationshavebeenerected,besidesoldhousesrepaired,allsincetheRevolution;andthisisnottobeforgottentoo,thatthisincreaseis,generallyspeaking,ofhandsome,largehouses,from20poundsayearto60pounds,veryfewunder20poundsayear;beingchieflyforthehabitationsoftherichestcitizens,suchaseitherareabletokeeptwohouses,oneinthecountryandoneinthecity;orforsuchcitizensasbeingrich,andhavingleftofftrade,livealtogetherintheseneighbouringvillages,forthepleasureandhealthofthelatterpartoftheirdays.Thetruthofthismayatleastappear,inthattheytellmetherearenolessthantwohundredcoacheskeptbytheinhabitantswithinthecircumferenceofthesefewvillagesnamedabove,besidessuchasarekeptbyaccidentallodgers.Thisincreaseoftheinhabitants,andthecauseofit,IshallenlargeuponwhenIcometospeakofthelikeinthecountiesofMiddlesex,Surrey,&c,whereitisthesame,onlyinamuchgreaterdegree.ButthisImusttakenoticeofhere,thatthisincreasecausesthosevillagestobemuchpleasanterandmoresociablethanformerly,fornowpeoplegotothem,notforretirementintothecountry,butforgoodcompany;ofwhich,TourthroughtheEasternCountiesofEngland4thatImayspeaktotheladiesaswellasotherauthorsdo,thereareinthesevillages,nay,inall,threeorfourexcepted,excellentconversation,andagreatdealofit,andthatwithoutthemixtureofassemblies,gaming-houses,andpublicfoundationsofviceanddebauchery;andparticularlyIfindnoneofthoseincentiveskeptuponthissidethecountry.Mr.Camden,andhislearnedcontinuator,BishopGibson,haveransackedthiscountryforitsantiquities,andhaveleftlittleunsearched;andasitisnotmypresentdesigntosaymuchofwhathasbeensaidalready,Ishalltouchverylightlywheretwosuchexcellentantiquarieshavegonebeforeme;exceptitbetoaddwhatmayhavebeensincediscovered,whichastothesepartsisonlythis:ThatthereseemstobelatelyfoundoutinthebottomoftheMarshes(generallycalledHackneyMarsh,andbeginningnearabouttheplacenowcalledtheWick,betweenOldFordandthesaidWick),theremainsofagreatstonecauseway,which,asitissupposed,wasthehighway,orgreatroadfromLondonintoEssex,andthesamewhichgoesnowoverthegreatbridgebetweenBowandStratford.Thatthegreatroadlaythisway,andthatthegreatcausewaylandedagainjustovertheriver,wherenowtheTempleMillsstand,andpassedbySirThomasHickes'shouseatRuckolls,allthisisnotdoubted;andthatitwasoneofthosefamoushighwaysmadebytheRomansthereisundoubtedproof,bytheseveralmarksofRomanwork,andbyRoman