210 ON THE OCCURRENCE OF WESTLETON BEDS
excellent tea provided at the Saracen's Head Hotel. Mr. E. A. Fitch, the
President of the Essex Field Club, took the chair, and Mr. T. V. Holmes, Vice-
president of both the Essex Field Club and the Geologists' Association, the vice-
chair. After tea Mr. Holmes proposed and Mr. Fitch seconded a vote of thanks
to Mr. Monckton, which was cordially responded to ; and Mr. Monckton having
returned thanks, the party broke up—some returning by the 7.50 train to London,
whilst others, on the invitation of Mr. Durrant, visited the Church and the
Museum.
ON THE OCCURRENCE OF WESTLETON BEDS
IN PART OF NORTH-WESTERN ESSEX.
By J. FRENCH ; with Remarks by W. H, DALTON, F.G.S.,
and H. W. MONCKTON, F.G.S.
[Read November 7th, 1891]
FOR some years my attention has been drawn to certain pebbly
gravels used for road metal in the neighbourhood of Stebbing.
These gravels are so greatly unlike those excavated in my own
neighbourhood (Felstead), that I had made enquiries of Road
Surveyors and others; but, beyond their remarks that they were
obviously sea-shingle, no information could be afforded as to their
place in the Drift series. On reading in the Essex Naturalist
(vol. iv., pp. 100-102) the summary of Prof. Prestwich's article
on the Westleton Beds, I gathered that there was some probability
of getting light thrown on these pebbly gravels ; and through the
kindness of Mr. W. H. Dalton, I was put in possession of the
original text,1 together with some hints and warnings from Mr.
Dalton, which have proved very useful in conducting my observa-
tions.
In addition to Prof. Prestwich's article, I find that Mr. S. V.
Wood, junr., had previously described a Drift Gravel as earlier and
underlying his "Middle" series at Danbury Hill and Tiptree Heath.
The Geological Survey Map and Memoir, illustrating Sheet 47,
except in one doubtful case, provisionally group all the gravels
underlying the Boulder Clay into one series. It will be the object
of the present paper to show that in the area observed the series is
sometimes divisible into two parts, and also to substantiate in many
particulars Prof. Prestwich's observations and inferences.
The tract of land to which I would direct attention lies between
Bulford Station, near Braintree, on the extreme east, and Dunmow
High Wood on the extreme west. Its southern border nearly agrees
Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc, vol. xlvi., pp. 84-181 (1890).