THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 259
between 1,200 and 1,300 acres, and it extended as far as or beyond the
village of Dagenham, two miles distant from the river bank.
The present-day acreage of "Dagenham Gulf" is some 40 acres, and
it is much frequented by anglers.1
In the near neighbourhood of the "Gulf" is the derelict, choked-up
channel of the "Romford Canal," designed in the '70's of last century
to convert the Essex market town, nearly five miles distant, into a river
port, but never completed beyond half-way.
The land lying between the "Gulf" and the river has been heightened
by the accumulation, during many decades, of enormous quantities of
rubbish, brought here by barge from London ; and on the rough surface
of this huge "tip-heap," which extends for fully half a mile along the river
front, forming a low cliff, some 7 feet high, a heterogeneous assemblage
of wild and alien plants has had free opportunity to develop, and presents
an interesting subject of botanical study.
A striking effect is produced by a jungle of the tall Heracleum giganteum,
S feet or so in height, extending over hundreds of yards of ground, whose
stout stems and noble foliage presented a strangely tropical aspect.
The following plants, among others, were noted by the botanists of
the party :—Erigeron Canadensis, Saponaria officinalis, Medicago falcata,
M. sativa, Melilotus officinalis, M. alba, Oenothera biennis, Angelica sylves-
tris, Pastinaca saliva, Dipsacus sylvestris, Artemisia vulgaris, Senecio
viscosus, S. erucifolius, Cichorium Intybus, Lactuca virosa, Helmintia
echioides, Aster tripolium (the rayed form), Atropa belladonna, and the
aliens Sisymbrium pannonicum, Heracleum giganteum, and Lycopersicum
esculentum (tomato), also many self-sown Apple, Plum, and Elder bushes.
Mr. Glegg observed the following birds on or about the "Lake" :—
Kestrel, Blackbird, Redbreast, Wren, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Linnet,
Reed Bunting, Swallow, Martin, Sand Martin, Starling, Coot, Moorhen,
Green Sandpiper (a single bird and a party of four), and Black-headed
Gull.
From this interesting spot the party proceeded across country,
partly by road and partly by field-path, to Dagenham Village, some two
miles distant, where at the "Cross Keys" Hotel, tea was taken, after which
a formal meeting (the 519th) of the Club was held, and Captain F. Gidney,
of Gillwell Park House, Sewardstone, was elected a Member.
A move was then made across the road to the parish church (St. Peter
and St. Paul), where the visitors were received by the priest-in-charge,
the Rev. G. Jones, who showed the 15th century Urswick tomb and other
interesting monuments, and who gave an account of the partial rebuilding
of the church at the beginning of the 19th century, and the subsequent
alterations.
After a vote of thanks to Mr. Jones, the party made its way along the
village street to Dagenham station, where the 7.21 o'clock train for London
was caught.
1 Dagenham Breach was visited by the Club on 23rd July, 1892, and an interesting account
of it was read by Mr. Walter Crouch on that occasion (see Essex Naturalist, vi,. p. 155).