THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
87
FIELD MEETING IN HATFIELD FOREST (583rd MEETING).
SATURDAY, 28TH JUNE, 1924.
A first visit of inspection by the Club of this, the third Essex Forest
secured for the enjoyment of the public by the munificent generosity of
the late Mr. E. N. Buxton, was arranged for the above date under the
leadership of Miss G. Lister and Mr. Gerald Buxton, who are members
of the local Committee of Management appointed by the National Trust
to look after the forest. A third member, Mr. Geoffrey Dent, would have
accompanied the party, but was abroad at the time.
The party travelled by train leaving Liverpool Street at 11.50 o'clock,
Bishop's Stortford being reached at 12.35 o'clock, and here char-a-bancs
were in waiting to convey the visitors to the Forest, three miles distant.
Hatfield Forest was entered by the right of way at the level crossing
over the railway on the Stane Street, near Takeley village, the route through
the Forest being southwards through the open wood, past the Doodle
Oak, across the site of the ancient Roman Road (London Road) which
runs through the Forest, through the Warren, and so to the Grotto Cottage
by the lake, where lunch was taken al fresco and the curious Shell Room
in the cottage inspected. The cottage is faced outside with flaked flints,
coloured glass fragments and shells, arranged in various patterns ; the
Shell Room has a panelled coved ceiling with shell-mouldings, and on the
walls are "pictures," framed with sea shells and enclosing various designs
in hydroids, shells, butterflies, starfishes and seaweeds : the whole con-
stituting a tour de force, more curious than suitable, and perhaps typical
of the eighteenth century when it was executed.
After lunch, the Lake was skirted and Gravelpit Coppice explored,
"Spiker's Oak" (a name of unknown origin), and the adjacent old pollard
hornbeams inspected, Elgin Coppice, which contains a number of planted
non-indigenous trees, skirted, and the return walk made to Forest Lodge,
where tea and strawberries and cream had been kindly provided by Mr.
Buxton. After tea, the visitors scattered for individual rambles through
the woodlands in search of plants, but the bulk of the party accompanied
Mr. Buxton on a tour of inspection through Collin's Coppice.
The botany of Hatfield Forest promises to be of considerable interest.
On the present visit, no fewer than 180 species of phanerogams were re-
corded, most of them being in flower or in fruit; the more noteworthy
occurrences being as under:—
Hounds tongue (Cynoglossum officinale) was growing abundantly in
the open spaces. Bee Orchis (Ophrys apifera), Orchis pyramidalis and
O. maculata were found, also Conium maculatum, Valeriana officinalis,
Crepis taraxacifolia and Lithospermum officinale. The occurrence of
Pastinaca sativa, Scabiosa arvensis, Verbascum thapsus and Calamintha
officinalis indicated the presence of lime in the soil, whilst the large quantity
of Lysimachia nummularia, which carpeted the ground in places, was
eloquent testimony to the dampness of the Chalky Boulder Clay which
forms the surface of the entire Forest.
The trees of the Forest include some magnificent specimens. One
fine Field Maple measured 8ft. 8ins. girth at 3 ft. above the ground, an oak