Editing Cranham (section)

===Economic development===
The parish is recorded in 1086 as being heavily wooded, supporting an agrarian way of life.<ref name="parishes cranham"/> Forest clearance was well advanced by the 15th century, with an increase in population and arable land; and there was a mill in Cranham.<ref name="parishes cranham"/> Cranham lay on [[brick earth]] and this gave rise to the Cranham Brick and Tile Company which was in operation from 1900 to 1920.<ref name="parishes cranham"/> Drury has suggested that early trade was with the nearby settlements of [[Romford]] and [[Hornchurch]] and with London via the [[River Thames]] at [[Rainham, London|Rainham]].<ref name="conservation drury"/>