Romans in Essex? Colchester comes to mind immediately, but Roman occupation had been widespread. There is evidence that Harlow was a religious and trading centre of local importance before the arrival of the Romans. Although there is little evidence of actual settlement, a small hill, known as Stanegrove, within the flood plain of the River Stort, appears to have been used for religious ceremonies.
After AD 43, Harlow found itself within the triangle formed by the Roman roads of Stane Street, Ermine Street and the military road linking London and Colchester. Settlement during the Roman period is demonstrated by the discovery of two villas within the boundary of modern Harlow. In 1940, an enemy bomb ‘excavated’ another villa. The site of Stanegrove developed as a venerated centre and around AD 80 a Roman temple was built there of flint and mortar. The temple was extended over the next century, eventually falling into decay around AD 400¹.
Are the hops in a Greensted hedgerow evidence of some Roman settlement?
¹ Bateman, Linley H. (ed), History of Harlow, (Harlow Development Corporation, 1969) ² Kemble, James, Prehistoric & Roman Essex, (Stroud, 2001)