THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 39
other woodlands of smaller extent to Hutton Church, where the party was
received by the Reverend P. L. Claughton, who pointed out that the
ancient fabric had been drastically restored in 1873 by C. E. Street (the
celebrated Gothic architect, who designed the new Law Courts in the
Strand), in the Early English style with which he was so familiar.
The carved oak rood, with figures of Christ on the Cross and the Virgin
and St. John, attracted much interest, as did the handsome alabaster War
Memorial on the south wall, which was executed by one of our members,
Mr. Daymond.
Leaving this interesting church and thanking Mr. Claughton for his
learned exposition, a fine avenue of elms, just opposite the church, was
pointed out as being, together with other local landmarks, referred to in
the opening chapter of Anthony Hope's Sophie of Kravonia. That well-
known novelist visited relatives of his who live in the immediate neigh-
bourhood, and drew upon local topography for his descriptions.
Mr. Arthur C. Guppy's garden at "The Coppice" was next visited,
and its especial feature, an old marl-pit of several acres in extent, which
has become filled with water and surrounded by trees and bushes, inspected.
The final stage to "Haslemere" was then undertaken, and here a
most cordial welcome awaited the tired wayfarers from Mrs. Keeves and
her daughters, and tea was administered in large doses.
After tea, a short meeting of the Club was held, when Miss Edith F.
French, of 46, Church Hill Road, Walthamstow, E.17, was elected a member,
and three nominations for membership were made.
The President expressed the thanks of those present to Mr. Keeves for
the trouble he had taken in arranging the day's excursion and to him and
Mrs. Keeves for the hospitality extended, and also to Messrs. Weston
and Guppy for their respective shares in the day's enjoyment. Mr. Keeves
replied, expressing the hope that a second visit of the Club might be made
at no distant date.
The members then made their way to Shenfield Station, in separate
detachments, to catch different trains. Before saying farewell Mr. Weston
very kindly distributed to the visitors copies of some manuscript notes
on the history of Hutton.
RAMBLE IN THE THEYDON GARNON AND ABRIDGE
DISTRICT (534th MEETING).
Saturday, 17TH September, 1921.
A cross-country nature-ramble in the above district was organized on
this date, the principal object of the expedition being to study the autumn
botany and to collect insects and pond-life specimens; the conductors were
the president (Mr. R. Paulson, F.L.S., F.R.M.S.), Mr. D. J. Scourfield,
F.Z.S., F.R.M.S., and Mr. Percy Thompson, F.L.S.
A cold morning, with a stiff nor'-easter blowing, coming unexpectedly
as it did after a prolonged period of heat and drought, yet did not deter
members from turning out in force, and a goodly muster of 50 persons
attended.
Most of the party assembled at Theydon Bois Station at 10.50 a.m.