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Archiver > ESSEX-UK > 2004-09 > 1094769354


From:
Subject: Re: Lea Bridge, Essex
Date: Thu, 9 Sep 2004 18:35:54 EDT



In a message dated 09/09/2004 21:01:59 GMT Daylight Time,
writes:

In 1851 census a place of birth was given as Lea Bridge, Essex. I know the
river Lea runs roughly near Essex-Herts border, but does
aanyone ;know Lea Bridge as it is not on my map.


When in doubt, go to the Ordnance Survey site at _www.getamap.co.uk_
(http://www.getamap.co.uk) . In this case, use the grid reference TQ355865 and you
will get an OS map centred on Lea Bridge, but you will get the same effect if
you just use 'Lea Bridge' as your search criterion.

When you see a road with the name of a local place in it in the UK you can
be 95% sure the road leads to the place itself. So it is with Lea Bridge Road
- follow the road toward the River Lea and between Upper and Lower Clapton
you will see where the road bridges the River Lea (or Lee).

I speculate that because of the boggy ground around there (Hackney Marshes
is just to the east) any bridge that allowed you to get between the east and
west banks would be well-known and well-used. So the bridge (or more properly
*a* bridge) would have given its name to the area itself.

DaveD

PS the Get-A-Map site also has a route through to _www.old-maps.co.uk_
(http://www.old-maps.co.uk) and also a site which will display a modern aerial
photo of the area. To get past the home page, click on the large green button
labelled 'I want to Get-a-map'

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