104 THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
Field Meeting at Barkingside and Wanstead.
Saturday, July 1st, 1893.
The chief object of this afternoon excursion was to examine the fine and exten-
sive sections of River Drift gravel on St. Swithin's farm, Barkingside, by the
kind permission of the owner, Mr. Llewellyn Hatton, of Carswell.
Starting from Snaresbrook station, the party, numbering about forty, under
the direction of Messrs. Waiter Crouch, F.Z.S., V.-P., and H. W. Monckton,
F.G.S., F.L.S., passed through the old grounds of "The Grove" estate to the
meadows of the river Roding, over the footbridge, and then by the lane past
Fern Hall to the gravel pit.
The way was neither long nor tedious, but the weather was decidedly warm,
and the delightful breeze which sprang up across the meadows was very welcome.
Some notes were given en route by Mr. Crouch. He mentioned that "The Grove,"
Wanstead, had on a previous occasion been visited by the Club, on April 21st,
1888 (vide Essex Naturalist, vol. ii., p. 80). The mansion was then unin-
habited, but has since been pulled down, the grounds laid out with roads, the long
lake filled up, and many houses erected. A series of four interesting lithographs
of this place on Indian paper, from drawings by the Hon. Anne Rushout, and
copies of miniatures by Plimer of herself and two sisters and their mother, Lady
Northwick (nee Bowles), were exhibited at the evening meeting.
The Roding meadows lie low, and the centre of the river is for a long distance
the boundary of the parishes of Wanstead and Ilford. The footbridge was rebuilt
in 1891, at the joint expense of the two Local Boards, costing over £80, the old,
narrow, but more picturesque one being in bad repair, and indeed dangerous. On
gaining the lane a hollow may be seen opposite Red Bridge House ; here some
hundred years ago was a tile and brick kiln, but the earth has long ago been
worked out. In olden times this place was known by the name of "Hockley at
the Watering."
St. Swithin's Farm is now in the occupation of Mr. James Ingram, of Hedge-
mans. The farm house, which has recently undergone extensive repairs, is now
in private occupation. It was built over 200 years ago. The oaken beams are
very thick, and the drawing room is covered with small oak panels, much like the
work at Gaysham Hall (vide Essex Naturalist, vol. v., p. 184), but here,
unfortunately, it is all covered with paint. The house stands high, and is covered
with a well grown "Wistaria" (Millettia).
The residence, "Carswell," is only about 100 years old. The ancient man-
sion of that name stood nearer the farm house on much higher ground, from
whence a good view extends over the valley of the Roding from Claybury to
Buckhurst Hill, Woodford, and Wanstead. The site is now called "The Hilly
Hoppet," and, until recently, an old man was living who remembered the remains
of the old house, which was used as a quarry for building cottages, etc. The
foundations are yet close under the surface. This mansion was of great age, the
earliest record to be found being in the draft will of Henry Fanshawe (the Queen's
Remembrancer, Ob. 1568), of Clay Hall.—" I will Willm. Hopkyns, my father in
lawe, to dwell in the house at Carsewell, where he now dwelleth, during his lyfe,
paying yerely to myne executor fortie shillings and no more." Thomasine, his
first wife, who died in 1562, was daughter of W. Hopkyns (vide Essex
Naturalist, vol. vi., p. 152).