225
THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.1
Field Meeting at Bishop's Stortford, Hatfield Forest, and at
Hyde Hall, Sawbridgeworth, Wednesday, July 31st, 1889.
On the occasion of a very kind invitation from our members, Mr. and Mrs. T. J.
Mann, for the Club to visit them at Hyde Hall, a most pleasant day was spent in
this fine district, the weather being all that could be desired.
Carriages were in waiting at Bishop's Stortford Station on the arrival of the
train timed there at 10.10 a.m. Quite an army of "Conductors" were present to
afford information on special subjects, including our host Mr. Mann, the President,
Mr. Fitch, F.L.S., Prof. Boulger, F.L.S., Mr. G. E. Pritchett, F.S.A., Mr. C. A.
Wright, F.L.S., Mr. J. E. Harting, F.L.S., Mr. Walter Crouch, F.Z.S., Prof.
Meldola, F.R.S., and the Secretary, Mr. W. Cole.
The party was driven to Hatfield Forest by way of the ancient "Stane
Street" (the "via militaris" running from Stortford through Takeley, Dunmow,
and Braintree to Colchester), the woodlands being entered at the Thromhill Priory
gate. Permission to visit the forest had been kindly given by the owner, J. Archer
Houblon, Esq., J.P.
Hatfield Forest comprises about 1,000 acres, lying to the N.W. of the town of
Hatfield Regis or Hatfield Broad Oak. It was anciently a royal demesne and
doubtless originally formed part of the great Forest of Essex. Hatfield is a cor-
ruption of the Saxon "Heethfield," land covered with heath or underwood.
Rights of commonage and cutting existed in the forest from the earliest times; but
were extinguished under Act of Parliament during the epidemic of enclosure bills
of the brave days of the '50's, and the forest now forms a magnificent park attached
to the mansion at Hallingbury. The forest contains many fine oaks and other
trees, notably some grand hawthorns, and hornbeams grow in one part.
The ramble through the forest was a delightful one, and the few observations
that the scant time permitted clearly showed that it would afford an excellent
hunting-ground for the naturalist. Many remarkably fine trees—hawthorns,
maples, and oaks—were noticed, and the venerable remains of the old "Doodle
Oak" were examined (and photographed) with much interest. It is asserted,
somewhat doubtfully, that this tree gave the name of "Broad Oak" to the parish.
The Rev. J. W. Kenworthy (Vicar of Braintree) called attention to an extract from
a MS. of Dr. Wm. Allen, in his possession. Dr. Allen was a friend of Samuel
Dale and John Ray.
Dr. Allen wrote thus in his manuscript book :
" Oaks dont decai, because they send down a Tap root as deep as they are
high, but last long, & is the noblest Timber, & will last in standing in the
ground a 1,000 years, as was proved in Sr. Charles Barrington's Hatfield Oak :
a great Tree for a landmark & Limet at the Conquest, and lasted till the Civil
War and coming in of K. Charles before it was dead."
Mr. Kenworthy remarks : "Query, was this oak of Allen's the 'Doodle Oak ?'
The forest or chace is called in Sexton's and Norden's maps 'Hatfield Chace,' and
it reached up to Takeley. 'Barrington Hall' was not at Broad Oak as we now
know Mr. Lowndes's hall, but was near the forest, and the oak and land may have
been his (Sir Charles Barrington's) in 1686. If this extract of 1686 refers to the
1 Owing to the non-receipt of materials from the "Conductors." the reports of the Saffron
Walden Meeting on June 22nd, and the Burnham and Southend Meeting on July 12th and 13th,
are delayed. They will he found further on in the volume.—Ed.