THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 99
A walk across the fields, past Navestock Lake, brought the party at
6 o'clock to Navestock Church (St. Thomas the Apostle), where too the
rector welcomed the visitors and briefly described the building, which
was afterwards inspected in detail. The massive oak framing of the
belfry, with carved posts having moulded caps and bases of characteristic
15th century character, evoked admiring comments: the nave-arcade is
13th century with typical Early English caps and bases: the N. door has
a flat segmental arch with billet-moulding, with a tympanum and plain
round arch over, all of Norman work.
Soon after 6.30 o'clock, a specially chartered motor-coach conveyed
the party (other than those members who travelled by car) back to Ongar
where the 7.13 train was taken back to town.
Our President did not fail, as opportunity offered, to return thanks, on
behalf of the party, to the various individuals who had contributed to the
enjoyment of the visitors and to the success of the meeting.
VISIT TO CANEWDON, CREEKSEA AND BURNHAM
(748TH MEETING).
SATURDAY, 14TH SEPTEMBER, 1935.
A party of twenty-six members foregathered at Rochford station at
10.20 o'clock in the expectation, which was fully justified, of a very pleasant
excursion in this south-eastern part of our County under the guidance
of the excursions secretary, Mr. John Salmon. The weather was kind:
with the exception of one heavy shower during the afternoon the day was
bright and sunny, with a stiff breeze.
A private motor-coach had been requisitioned, in which the party
was speedily conveyed to Canewdon. At the parish church of St. Nicholas,
the visitors were received, in the absence of the rector, by Mr. Garner, who
gave a brief but comprehensive resume of the history of the fabric. The
massive 15th century west Tower, with its huge buttresses and flint
diapered parapet, attracted general admiration: some of the party
ascended to the summit, from whence a glorious view was obtained ex-
tending for miles along the valley of the Crouch with Burnham and its
fleet of yachts in the distance.
Mr. Garner remarked that the finely carved 17th century Pulpit, in the
style of Grinling Gibbons, was a relic of the Great Fire of London, having
been salved from one of the City churches and presented to Canewdon in
1670: the organ is believed to have come from one of the side chapels of
Old Saint Paul's. A stone, broken across and with four consecration-
crosses still visible upon it, evidently the former altar-table, lies in the
north aisle and, it is hoped, will be restored to serve as a communion table
in the near future.
Canewdon Church possesses an object which is unique in Essex, namely,
an Alms Chest of late 15th century date, barrel-shaped, 7 inches high and
51/2 inches in diameter, and plated with iron, originally the "money chest"
of some mediaeval craft guild : the parish bier is probably of later date
than that at Eastwood, which bears the date 1706. Hatchments and
mural tablets commemorate the Flemish family of Kersteman which
settled here in 1563 to escape the Spanish persecution in the Netherlands.