56 THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
was to be celebrated in July : the building itself was erected in 1834
by the then Lord Braybrooke, and since 1880 the whole of the building
has been devoted to the purposes of the museum. The magnificent Church
was also visited and also the Bridge End Gardens, familiarly known as
"Fry's Garden," in Castle Street.
During the afternoon, a score of the visitors (twenty being the limit
in numbers fixed by Lord Braybrooke) paid a visit of inspection to Audley
End Mansion, where they were conducted round by his lordship's steward
and the housekeeper : the picturesque Abbey Farm and the 16th century
stables were also visited. Detailed accounts of these various buildings are
given in the reports of previous visits to the district, in earlier volumes of
the Essex Naturalist, and need not be repeated here.
The entire party re-assembled at the "Rose and Crown" hotel at
4.30 o'clock, where tea was taken ; after which Engelmann's famous
nurseries, containing the largest collection of Perpetual Flowering Carna-
tions in the world, were inspected under the personal conduct of Mr. Engel-
mann : the packing-room, where thousands of cut blooms in water awaited
despatch to Covent Garden next morning, presented a feast of colour which
fascinated the visitors. At 6.30 o'clock, after the warm thanks of the
party had been offered to Mr. Collar for his excellent leadership during the
day, leaves were taken and the homeward journey entered upon, all
expressing their appreciative enjoyment of a most interesting day.
FIELD MEETING AT BARLING, SUTTON and ROCHFORD
(705th MEETING).
SATURDAY, 10TH SEPTEMBER, 1932.
Some thirty members took part in this excursion, which had been
arranged to give opportunity to revisit a corner of the County which had
been much enjoyed in the autumn of the previous year.
The leaders for the day were Mr. and Mrs. L. S. Harley and Mr. F. J.
Lambert, as on the previous occasion.
The party assembled at Southend (L. and N.E.R.) station at half-past
eleven in the forenoon and thence travelled by omnibus to the outskirts
of Barling parish, alighting at the "Olde Shoulderstick inn," which, with
its quaint pictorial sign, presented a picturesque old world aspect.
A short walk brought the party to Jail Farm, a small modern farm-
house which incorporates portion of a 15th century building of the open
hall type, now very much altered : the original roof to the old portion has
a plain four-way kingpost which is interesting. Some few of the visitors
were invited to inspect the entire interior of the house, but the majority
of the party contented themselves with an inspection of the portion of
rubble stone wall, with ashlar dressings, some 14 feet in length by q feet
in height, which is believed to be the sole remnant of a one-time jail be-
longing to the Bishops of London, whence the name of the Farm; this
fragment now serves as a backing to a lean-to greenhouse in the garden
of the farmhouse, where also, a fine mulberry tree, in abundant fruit,
proved a tempting counter-attraction to the antiquarian interest of the
premises.
From here, a cross-country walk, with views of Barling church and
derelict windmill at a half-mile distance to the east, was entered upon,