These have already been sufficiently illustrated; and they were situated, for the most part, in the richest agricultural lowlands.

The second were towns which grew up slowly for purposes of trade by fords of rivers or at ports: such are Oxeneford, Oxford; Bedcanford, Bedford (a British town); Stretford, Stratford; and Wealingaford, Wallingford.

The third were the towns which grew up in the wastes and wealds, with names of varied form but more modern origin.

As a whole, it may be said that during the entire early English period the names of cities were mostly Roman, the names of villages and country towns were mostly English..