90
THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
fifty persons, assembled at Chingford railway station at 11 o'clock, and
set out across Chingford Plain to the margin of the woodland.
Frequent halts were called by Miss Hibbert-Ware, who acted as leader,
for the purpose of listening to the songs of the birds, which, inspired by
the genial sunny morning, were in great evidence. Most of the summer
migrants were returned and joined their songs to the familiar voices of
thrush, chaffinch and blackbird. Among the thirty-eight species recorded
were Chiff-chaff, Willow Warbler, Cuckoo, Blackcap, Tree Pipit,
Nightingale, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Swallow, Swift, Sand
Martin, Wood Pigeon, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Chaffinch, Yellowhammer,
Linnet, Long-tailed, Great and Blue Tits, Peewit and Red-backed Shrike.
Proceeding along the skirt of Hawk Wood and through it to Yardley
Hill, lunch was taken at the last-named spot whilst enjoying the extensive
view in all directions which this jutting promontary commands over the
Lea Valley at its foot. Unfortunately, the sky soon clouded over and the
afternoon was dull.
From Yardley Hill, the walk was continued along Gilwell Lane, "The
White Cottage" being reached shortly after 2 o'clock; here our hostess
gave the party a most hospitable welcome and in few minutes tea was
being handed round to all the guests: while the well-cared-for garden,
and particularly the rock-garden, now at its best, was inspected with
interest. Miss Hibbert-Ware demonstrated anew the mutual confidence
which exists between herself and the feathered denizens of her garden
hy placing food on the sill of the open window of her dining-room, which,
notwithstanding the disturbing presence of so many strangers, was at
once visited and carried off by robins, great tits, blue tits and chaffinches,
in full view of the visitors.
At 3.30 o'clock, Gilwell Park was entered ; here the party was met
and welcomed, in the unavoidable absence of the Camp Chief and his
Deputy, by Mr. D. H. K. Welsh, who obligingly conducted us over the
grounds and Hall.
A full description of the Gilwell estate and an exhaustive account
of its history was published in the Essex Naturalist (vol. XXL, pp.
302-310) in connection with the Club's former visit, and need not be
repeated here: readers are referred to that account, which is, in the
main, accurate, although further examination of documents in the British
Museum has enabled Mr. E. E. Reynolds, the Deputy Camp Chief, to
furnish additional material which is incorporated in the "Gilwell Book"
(2nd edition) published by the Boy Scouts Association quite recently
(1930), a copy of which book is in the Club's Library.
Several innovations were noticed, however, since our former visit:
among these is the Log Cabin, erected in backwoods style by the Gilwell
staff, as a memorial to the first Camp Chief, Francis Gidney, who died in
1923, which contains a very distinctive stone fireplace, built of stone
from the old Bank of England. The well-modelled bronze Bison, presented
toy the Boy Scouts of America in memory of the unknown Boy Scout who
rendered assistance in 1909 to William D. Boyce, an American, in London,
and so induced him to inaugurate the movement in his native country,
was curiously examined : this was unveiled by H.R.H. the Prince of Wales
four years ago and stands on a pedestal in the centre of the lawn behind
the Hall.