ORIGINAL NOTES.
305
At 4 o'clock tea was taken at the Duke of Wellington Inn, and a formal
Meeting of the Club followed, when Mr. Richard W. Chopping, of The Storehouse.
The Quay, Wivenhoe, Essex, was elected a member.
A walk across the Forest to Loughton, where vehicular transport was available,
brought a happy day's outing to a close.
RAMBLE—THEYDON GARNON AND ABRIDGE (854th Meeting).
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 1ST, 1945.
A small party of members foregathered at Theydon Bois station at 11.15 o'clock,
and began, under the leadership of Mr. Allen E. Gladwyn, a cross-country walk to
include Theydon Garnon and Abridge : the day was uniformly dull and dry, the
interests of the ramble not so !
En route the picturesque Parsonage Farm, of early 16th century date, with
timber framing only exposed since 1920, was admired.
At Theydon Garnon, the church, dedicated to All Saints, was visited and the
site of the cottage, now demolished, once a Priest's House, now thrown into the
churchyard and already used for interments, inspected with interest. The Hon.
Secretary described the cottage, which within his own recollection had been
occupied by a family with several children, and called attention to the medieval
lane which in past days ran between the cottage and the Tower of the Church and
is now continued in the avenue leading to the church. Of the church itself the
massive brick W. Tower (circa 1520). bearing a scratch-dial on its southern face
(with a larger sundial above it), and, internally, the oak nave-arcade of 1644, when
the N. Aisle was added, the brass to William Kirkeby (1458). a former rector,
the communion rails of circa 1700, and the stoup in the S. Porch attracted special
notice.
After an alfresco lunch in an adjoining barley field the ramble was continued by
green lane and field path which yielded much of interest to the botanically inclined
members of the party. Nearing Abridge, a stone milestone by the roadside
marked still visibly, "XIV miles," although placed in a by-lane now leading
nowhere in particular, indicated a further portion of a one-time important high
road leading from Epping towards London.
Leaving this lane, a field-path to the meadows forming the flood-plain of the
sinuous river Roding, was taken, and here the riverside masses of Purple Loose-
strife, Willowherb, Water Forget-me-not, and the midstream groups of Arrowhead
and Sparganium, proved so attractive that every bend of the winding stream was
followed methodically until Abridge village was reached, where tea was taken
and, later, a bus taken for home.
The ramble proved to be a prolific one as regards wild flowers, of which Miss
Prince recorded 123 species, some of which were of more than usual interest or
local rarity. Her list included Viola Iricolor, Malva pusilla, Trifolium hybridum
(fine specimens), Ciraea lutetiana, Scabiosa Succisa, Pulicaria dysenterica,
Senecio aquaticus, Picris Echioides, Lycopsis arvensis, Linaria spuria, Veronica
scutellata, Satureia Calamintha, etc., etc.
After tea a formal meeting of the Club was held, with Mr. D. J. Scourfield in
the chair, when Mr. B. R. Tubbs, of 16a, Anerley Road, Westcliff-on-Sea. was
elected a member, and three nominations for membership read.
ORIGINAL NOTES.
Comma Butterfly at Cressing. Early in October last I watched four fire
specimens of the Comma Butterfly resting on violet leaves in my garden. During
September and early October they were to be seen every sunny day, with Tortoise-
shells and Red Admirals.
F. J. Cullen.
Camberwell Beauty at Chingford. A live Camberwell Beauty (V. antiopa)
was taken at Chingford on 7th September, 1945, in good condition, at rest indoors.
R. D. Weal.