An extensive band of silt and clay accumulated along the southern coastline of The Wash in the 200 years following the Roman occupation (between 400-600AD). Although not impermeable, it created a ridge of relatively dry land along the coast that was bounded by sea and salt marsh to its north and east, and freshwater open fenland to its south and west. This silt ridge created the conditions which would allow for human settlement upon it from about 600AD onwards. The ridge would become known as the ‘high land’, corrupted over time to be called ‘Holland’. It also became known as the ‘Townlands.’
