Moreton, Essex
Encyclopedia
Moreton is a village in the Epping Forest
district of the County of Essex
, England
. It is located 7.2 miles (11.6 km) east of Harlow
and 3.2 miles (5.14 km) north-west of Chipping Ongar
.
Two thousand years ago it was the point at which a Roman style road
, connecting Great Dunmow
(Stane Street) to London, crossed the Cripsey Brook . Today the bridge
that crosses the Cripsey is still a feature of Moreton, and though not two thousand years old, its construction nonetheless predates the advent of mass motorised transport. There being no weight limits on the village lanes in this corner of Essex, this narrow bridge has become somewhat degraded over recent decades, by the passage of large trucks and of other vehicles driven with insufficient precision between its parapet
s.
There is no modern road, at this point, following the route of the Roman road
out of the village, but the old road's route can be followed at Tawney Common a few miles to the south west. Modern Moreton remains at the confluence of various minor roads, however, which link to Fyfield
, to the east, Bobbingworth
to the south, High Laver
(burial place of John Locke
) to the west and Matching to the north. Where the roads meet there remain several substantial village houses from the late Medieval / early modern period of English history, as well as two traditional English pubs, being The White Hart and The Nags Head.
Directly to the east of The Nags head, Moreton features a primary school, which retains its small Victorian
era main building, but in recent decades has grown in size and in excellence, as schools in neighbouring villages have been closed down.
The surrounding area is agricultural, and there is also a flour milling business a short distance to the north of the village. That apart, commercial activity has largely abandoned the village, and today many residents must commute to Harlow
or Chelmsford
or to London
.
For many years after petrol and diesel engine
d tractors became mainstream in England, Moreton retained a depot housing steam tractors (traction engine
s) but historical traction engines are no longer a feature of Moreton.
Epping Forest (district)
Epping Forest is a local government district of the county of Essex, England. It is named after Epping Forest, of which the district contains a large part...
district of the County of Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is located 7.2 miles (11.6 km) east of Harlow
Harlow
Harlow is a new town and local government district in Essex, England. It is located in the west of the county and on the border with Hertfordshire, on the Stort Valley, The town is near the M11 motorway and forms part of the London commuter belt.The district has a current population of 78,889...
and 3.2 miles (5.14 km) north-west of Chipping Ongar
Chipping Ongar
Chipping Ongar is a small market town, and a civil parish called Ongar, in the Epping Forest district of the county of Essex, England. It is located East of Epping, South-East of Harlow and North-West of Brentwood.-Geography:...
.
Two thousand years ago it was the point at which a Roman style road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
, connecting Great Dunmow
Great Dunmow
Great Dunmow is an ancient market town in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England in which the great Shannon Gray, also known as Hazzah Potter, lives...
(Stane Street) to London, crossed the Cripsey Brook . Today the bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
that crosses the Cripsey is still a feature of Moreton, and though not two thousand years old, its construction nonetheless predates the advent of mass motorised transport. There being no weight limits on the village lanes in this corner of Essex, this narrow bridge has become somewhat degraded over recent decades, by the passage of large trucks and of other vehicles driven with insufficient precision between its parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
s.
There is no modern road, at this point, following the route of the Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
out of the village, but the old road's route can be followed at Tawney Common a few miles to the south west. Modern Moreton remains at the confluence of various minor roads, however, which link to Fyfield
Fyfield, Essex
Fyfield is a village in the County of Essex, England. It is located 1.5 miles north-east of Chipping Ongar, 7.9 miles south-east of Harlow and 8.3 miles west of Chelmsford.- Trivia :...
, to the east, Bobbingworth
Bobbingworth
Bobbingworth is a village and civil parish in Essex, England. It is located about northwest of Chipping Ongar and is west from the county town of Chelmsford. The village is in the district of Epping Forest and the parliamentary constituency of Brentwood & Ongar. According to the 2001 census it...
to the south, High Laver
High Laver
High Laver is a village in the Epping Forest district of the County of Essex, England. It is located 4 miles east of Harlow and 1.4 miles north-west of Moreton....
(burial place of John Locke
John Locke
John Locke FRS , widely known as the Father of Liberalism, was an English philosopher and physician regarded as one of the most influential of Enlightenment thinkers. Considered one of the first of the British empiricists, following the tradition of Francis Bacon, he is equally important to social...
) to the west and Matching to the north. Where the roads meet there remain several substantial village houses from the late Medieval / early modern period of English history, as well as two traditional English pubs, being The White Hart and The Nags Head.
Directly to the east of The Nags head, Moreton features a primary school, which retains its small Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
era main building, but in recent decades has grown in size and in excellence, as schools in neighbouring villages have been closed down.
The surrounding area is agricultural, and there is also a flour milling business a short distance to the north of the village. That apart, commercial activity has largely abandoned the village, and today many residents must commute to Harlow
Harlow
Harlow is a new town and local government district in Essex, England. It is located in the west of the county and on the border with Hertfordshire, on the Stort Valley, The town is near the M11 motorway and forms part of the London commuter belt.The district has a current population of 78,889...
or Chelmsford
Chelmsford
Chelmsford is the county town of Essex, England and the principal settlement of the borough of Chelmsford. It is located in the London commuter belt, approximately northeast of Charing Cross, London, and approximately the same distance from the once provincial Roman capital at Colchester...
or to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
For many years after petrol and diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
d tractors became mainstream in England, Moreton retained a depot housing steam tractors (traction engine
Traction engine
A traction engine is a self-propelled steam engine used to move heavy loads on roads, plough ground or to provide power at a chosen location. The name derives from the Latin tractus, meaning 'drawn', since the prime function of any traction engine is to draw a load behind it...
s) but historical traction engines are no longer a feature of Moreton.