170
EXPLORATION OF SOME "RED-HILLS" IN
ESSEX, WITH REMARKS UPON THE
OBJECTS FOUND.
By WILLIAM COLE, F.L.S., F.E.S.
(With Plates xxviii. and xxix. and other Illustrations)
[Read at Spains Ball, July 28th, 1906.]
I HAVE been recently occupied in examining and re-arrang-
ing in the Museum the specimens from the Red-hills,
obtained during several years' attention paid by myself and my
brothers to the subject, and it seems well to place on permanent
record the results of our work and observations so far obtained,
small though they may be. The main facts were given in
spoken communications to the Club, at a meeting held in
Colchester, March 30th, 1889 (Essex Naturalist, iii., pp.
163-4), and again at a meeting held at Virley on April 13th,
1963 (E.N., xiii., 243), but the full details of these communica-
tions have not been hitherto published.
My practical experiences of Red-hills yielding any special
results are mainly confined to one at Burnham and several in
Mersea.
The exploration at Burnham was made as long ago as 1888,
and was rendered possible by the great courtesy and hospitality
of our late member, Mr. John Rogers, and of our Vice-President,
Mr. E. A. Fitch, F.L.S.
This particular Red-hill is at Little West Wick, Burnham
Marshes (called "Lower Westwick" on the one-inch Geological
Survey Map).1 It is situate immediately to the S.E. of the
cottage, shown in H. A. Cole's drawing ("Exploring the Red
Hill, Burnham, Essex," Plate xxviii.), which probably stands on
part, and the posts of an old ox-house were still standing about
the centre of the hill. The hill is two miles east of Burnham
Church, and two miles south-east of Southminster Church,
51/8 miles west of the sea-wall, and 11/4 miles north of the wall on
the River Crouch. The distance from the sea and river is
noteworthy.
The cuttings were made on the 20th and 21st of September,
1888. The working party consisted of Mr. Fitch, Mr. H. C.
Snell, Messrs. W., B. G., and H. A. Cole, while Mr. Rogers
kindly allowed us the assistance of David Barber, one of his men,
1 Sheet (Essex) lxiii south-east of the 1897 six-inch Survey, and No. 245 Sheet 63—15 of
the 25-inch Ordnance Survey.