130 THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
Committee, and which report had been unanimously agreed to, and ordered
to be acted upon. The Lodge would be thoroughly restored, and much
greater space given to the Museum. (See Abstract of the Report, ante
pp. 31-34)
On the slope of the hill, overlooking the Lea Valley, Mr. T. V. Holmes,
F.G.S., gave a short lecture on the physical geography of this fine broad
expanse of alluvial soil.1
A ramble through Bury Wood and over Chingford Plain took the party
to Queen Elizabeth's Lodge, where the Epping Forest Museum was inspected
with interest.
THIRD VOYAGE ON THE LEA FROM HERTFORD
TO WALTHAM ABBEY.
Thursday, June 15TH, 1899.
Conductors :—Major Lamorock Flower, F. San. I. ; Mark Davies, Esq.
(Gresham Angling Society); T. V. Holmes, Esq., F.G.S.; W. M. Webb,
Esq., F.L.S., and the Hon. Secretaries.
By the continued courtesy of the Lee Conservancy Board and the
abundant kindness of our Member, Major Flower, the Club was enabled,
under exceptionally favourable circumstances, to repeat the charming water
excursion which had been found so enjoyable on two previous occasions.2 The
arrangements were similar ; the greater number of voyagers went down to
Hertford by the 9.30 train from London ; others went overnight or cycled
down, and a break started in good time from Buckhurst Hill to meet
an early train from Waltham Cross, for the convenience of the Forest-dwelling
members, and to carry the materials for the tea on board.
After a brief inspection of the ancient town, and the Castle, mentioned in
a former report, the party embarked on board the "Salisbury" from the
towing path near the road from the railway station, steam was turned on, and
the voyage began.
Major Flower is one of the best authorities on the Lea, and was an
enthusiastic describer of its usefulness and the quiet pastoral beauties of the
bordering water-meadows. Mr. Corbie, the Clerk to the Lee Conservancy
Board, with thoughtful kindness, sent an ample supply of reprinted copies of
a paper by Mr. E. A. H. Bramley, entitled "Walton's Favourite River,"
which had been read before the Gresham Angling Society on July 19th, 1898,
for distribution amongst the members of the party. This little book plea-
santly gave much information to strangers to the Lea, and as the present
compiler has somewhat fully described the river in the reports already
published, he will gladly quote some passages. Mr. Bramley is picturing a
voyage similar to our own, and begins :—
1 See his Paper on "The Geology of the Lea Valley," Essex Naturalist, vol. viii., 198.
2 The previous voyages on the Lea under Major Flower's superintendence were held on
July 14th, 1894 ("Down River Lea from Hertford to Tottenham," Essex Naturalist, vol.
viii., pp. 205-213) ; on July 29th, 1895 ("Voyage from Bromley to Waltham Abbey," Essex
Naturalist, vol. x., pp. 87-99) ; June 37th, 1896 ("Second Voyage from Hertford to Waltham
Abbey," Essex Naturalist, vol. ix., pp. 208-213).