THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
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Mr. Avery briefly replied, expressing the pleasure his wife and he felt
at welcoming the Club at their home.
The visitors afterwards spent a considerable time in inspecting the
grounds, and our host's extensive collection of Essex books, prints, and
other curios, which he has amassed during many years.
VISIT TO BOREHAM AND LITTLE BADDOW
(549TH MEETING).
SATURDAY, 17TH JUNE, 1922.
Our members, Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Briscoe, having kindly extended an
invitation to the Club to visit them again at Little Baddow, the opportunity
was taken to explore a fresh section of this delightful countryside.
The party—a small one, owing to the unavoidable clashing of several
interesting meetings affecting many of our members—assembled at Chelms-
ford railway station at 11 o'clock, when brakes were in readiness to convey
it to Boreham. Here, at Messrs. W. Seabrook and Sons' fruit-nurseries,
the visitors were welcomed by Mr. Seabrook and spent some considerable
time in an inspection of the grounds and in hearing an explanation of some
of the processes necessary to ensure a profitable crop.
A bush-specimen of the D'arcy Spice Apple excited considerable interest
as being an Essex-raised apple of commendable flavour, though not now
in much request. Considerable interest, also, was evinced in the growing
crop of strawberries, which, at Mr. Seabrook's kind invitation, were freely
sampled by the visitors.
The remains of the moated Tudor house, known as Toppinghoe Hall, in
Messrs. Seabrook's occupation, with five old Cedars of Lebanon in what
were once its grounds, were inspected and admired; little seems to be known
of the history of the Hall, but we were informed that the tombs of its former
owners exist in Hatfield Peverel Church not far away.
A specimen of the "Velvet Rose," an old damask-rose, which grew in
Gerard's garden in Holborn, together with the first garden strawberries ever
grown in England, was pointed out by Miss Willmott in the tiny front
garden of a cottage, and may well have corne from the now-vanished gardens
of the old Hall.
Leave was here taken of Mr. Seabrook, the president expressing the
thanks of the party to him for showing us the nurseries (not forgetting the
strawberries!) and the Hall; and Mr. Seabrook suitably replied.
Following an al fresco lunch, Boreham Church was next visited. The
Vicar, the Rev. A. E. Hall, was unfortunately unable personally to receive
the party, but he had kindly prepared an account of the fabric, which was
read by Mr. Briscoe to the visitors assembled in the church. Mr. Hall's
notes are summarised as follows:—
Boreham Church.
The central Norman tower is fairly intact, the walls at base being four
feet in thickness: Roman materials, such as bricks, tiles, Septaria, with flint
pebbles laid in horizontal courses in the manner distinctive of Norman
masonry in Essex, are used in it, and the tower windows are original, the
upper belfry lights of two slightly-pointed openings, with central column,