128
THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
to be no need to assume the existence there of other pebble beds than those of
Lower Bagshot age. And it may be well to give here, in order to illustrate the
character of the Lower Bagshot Beds of this district, the details of a section at
Brentwood six or seven miles away, from Mr. H. B. Woodward's Geology of
England and Wales (page 440).
This section affords a good illustration of Mr. Woodward's remark, that in
sections near Brentwood the London Clay is seen to pass upwards into the Lower
Bagshot Beds. Curiously enough copies of the older map of the Geological
Survey of the district (I S.E. without drift) show the Lower Bagshot pebble-beds,
whilst the later edition, with drift, shows Pebble Gravel on the summit of Laindon
Hill.
"Laindon Hills" is now the accepted spelling of the name of this parish, but
it is still frequently called Langdon Hill, and this is probably the correct way, as
it is no doubt derived from lang-don—the long hill. It is called Langdon Hill
by Morant, and in the Geologically-coloured Ordnance Map, but not in the
later Ordnance maps.
Few heights in the south-east of England equal Laindon as a spot from which
the physiography of the surrounding district can be explained. On a clear day
the spectator is enabled, by slightly shifting his position within a circle having a
radius of about two hundred yards from the crown of the hill, to see for a con-
siderable distance in every direction. Eastward are the ridge on which Hadleigh
and Rayleigh stand, the flats of Canvey Island, and the cliffs of Sheppey. South-
ward are the Kentish villages of Cliffe and Cooling, and the long dip slope of the
North Downs. Westward the most conspicuous object is Shooter's Hill, while
the northward view is bounded by the high ground between Brentwood and
Danbury. And the broad Thames, besides forming an extremely obvious topo-
graphical guide, adds to the scene an element of beauty often wanting in extensive
panoramic views, especially in this part of England.1 It was, doubtless, this
possession of all the elements necessary to form a perfect landscape that caused
Morant, the county historian, to describe Laindon as commanding the finest views
in Essex, if not in England. And we have more unbiassed testimony in a work
entitled "A Six Week's Tour through the Southern Counties of England and
Wales" (Lond. 1768). This book, which Mr. H. B. Woodward had brought
with him, and which was stated to be written by the "Author of the Farmer's
Letters," was identified by Mr. Cole as a work of the well-known Arthur
Young. As might be expected, the writer treats mainly of the agricultural
condition of the various counties visited, though he by no means ignores either the
beauties of Nature or those of Art.2 His journey into the Laindon district seems
to have been extremely unpleasant. He remarks that "of all the cursed roads
that ever disgraced this kingdom in the very ages of barbarism, none even equalled
1A small engraving, "Scene from Laindon Hill, the property of Mrs. S. Hatton," was
published in 1832 in the "Beauties of Essex." It was drawn by W. Bartlett, and engraved by
H. Wallis.—Ed.
2 Mr. Holmes has compiled an epitome of the most interesting observations of Young, so far
as they have reference to our county, which we hope to print ere long in the Essex Naturalist
—Ed.