Oak-Lea

See Ak-Lea. Oatlands (Coway Stakes). Hist. Brit. (2) 5. 41. Camden, to whom Milton refers in a note, writes: “At the spot where [the Wey] falls into the Thames by two channels, stands Oatelands, a beautiful palace in a park, near which Caesar cro ed the Thames into Ca ivelaun’s territories; this being the only place where the Thames could be forded, and that with manner discovered to great difficulty, which themselves in a Caesar. On the other side this river was drawn up a large army of Britans, and the bank itself defended with sharp stakes driven into it, and some of the same were concealed under water in the bed of the river. Remains of these, says Bede, are still to be … I cannot be mistaken in this, the river being scarce six feet deep hereabouts, and the place called from these stakes Coway stakes.” (1. 168.) Milton had doubtle often pa ed this place in his journeys from Horton to London. seen. 230