96
THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
During the day, 31 different birds were noted, including Nightingale,
Chiff Chaff, Willow Warbler, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap,
Nuthatch, Tree Creeper, Swift, Swallow, Martin, Great Spotted Wood-
pecker, Turtle Dove, Flycatcher and Magpie.
VISIT TO LITTLE BADDOW AND DANBURY
(746TH MEETING).
SATURDAY, 22ND JUNE, 1935.
A surprisingly small party numbering fewer than thirty members took
part in one of the most enjoyable field-meetings ever undertaken by the
Club in this delightful part of our County. The reason was no doubt the
very unpleasant, cold, wet weather which had been experienced for the
past three weeks and which suddenly, on the eve of this meeting, turned
to midsummer heat and sun, too late however for altered arrangements to-
be made. Our members, Mr. J. M. Bull and Mr. F. W. Thorrington, acted
as conductors and met the party at Little Baddow parish church (St. Mary)
on its arrival by motor-coach a few minutes before 11 o'clock.
Mr. Bull apologised for the absence of the rector, the Rev. Jesse Berridge,
who had been called away by another engagement, and himself gave
the visitors a short account of the architectural history of the fabric, re-
marking especially on the unusual widening in the 14th century of the
nave in place of the more customary addition of a S. Aisle with arcade.
The newly reopened plain Norman doorway in the N. wall, framed entirely
by Roman bricks, was pointed out. A problematical bowl now placed in
the nave on a base composed of a nether millstone and believed to be a
rough Norman font, gave rise to discussion, it being, in the view of some
present, not a font but a large mortar, formerly in use for triturating,
meat or vegetables.
The old Congregational Chapel, built in 1707 by the Barrington family
of "Tofts," was next visited: here the visitors were welcomed by the
pastor, the Rev. B. Vaughan-Pryce, who gave a resume of the founding
and early history of the building and of the connection of Thomas Hooker
and John Eliot, the "apostle to the Indians," with Little Baddow;
whose missionary labours originated the present-day Society for the
Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. An interesting feature of
this historic Chapel is the range of cartsheds, once used for the stabling of
the gigs of worshippers from outlying farms and still today in use for the
motor-cars of their modern successors. Our President expressed the
thanks of the party to the pastor when leaving.
Regaining the coach and the cars, the party proceeded to Hill Cot-
tage, in another part of this extensive parish, where Mr. and Mrs. Hood-
provided a most hospitable welcome in their lovely terraced garden : in
these delightful surroundings, lunch was taken, and coffee kindly dispensed
by our host and hostess, who were warmly thanked by our President, on.
behalf of the party, on taking leave.
A three-mile country nature-ramble was then begun, at first through
woods belonging to Mr. and Mrs. Hood and then over some of the many
commons which characterise this charming district, botanical collecting and
ornithological observations being made en route. Wild flowers were met