224 THE ESSEX NATURALIST
construction, with a 16th century brick tower, but the walls of the nave
and chancel are pierced with splayed Saxon windows.
From Inworth the party made a long northward journey to the borders
of Suffolk to inspect a small group of pre-Conquest sites near Sudbury.
At Alphamstone the church is associated with a large group of sarsens,
one of which is lying in the lower courses of the tower wall; others lie
about the western end of the churchyard, and another at the roadside by
the churchyard gate. At Middleton two sarsens lie in the churchyard, not
far from the very ancient church. This place, by the way, is a striking
example of the decayed village; there are few cottages and the little church
and the park-like grounds in which it stands were unkempt and neglected.
A few yards away stood the great rectory, shuttered, silent and deserted.
Our way to Middleton had taken us through a narrow lane with high
banks and tunnelled by the overhanging branches of great trees, reminding
us of a Devonshire lane. Here and there a break in the foliage revealed
the rolling landscape of the Stour valley, bringing home to us the great
diversity of scenery of our county. Our southward run now followed the
road to Dunmow for a welcome break for tea.
Our itinerary was by no means ending, for we now turned to the north-
west to find the little Saxon gem of Chickney church. Losing our way in
the neighbourhood of Broxted, in the maze of byways of this secluded part
of Essex only heightened the spirits of the party. Chickney church stands
in a deserted parish, and remains much the same as it stood before the
Conquest. Built of flint and pebble rubble, with splayed windows, the,
nave has the dimensions and plan often found in Saxon structures. No
angle is a right-angle. The ratio of length to width of the nave is 1 : 7
an example of Harley's method of identifying Saxon churches. In the
fading light of the September evening our leader produced a ball of string
and, with the willing help of members, proceeded to demonstrate Harley's
theory of the marking out of Saxon foundations on the square root of 3
principle. (Essex Naturalist, 28, '275).
Our final stop was at the church of Leaden Roding, said to be the oldest
of the Roding group. This church suffered severely from the blast of an
enemy missile, and the western end is badly cracked. A small boulder of
shelly limestone near the churchyard gate—obviously a glacial erratic—
attracted some speculative interest.
Night had fallen by the time we returned to Wanstead after a most
satisfying day among some of the most picturesque and historical sites
in Essex.
Fungus Foray in Epping Forest (966th Meeting)
SUNDAY. 11 OCTOBER, 1953
One party met at Theydon Bois Station and was led by Mr. J. W. Dyce,
while another party, led by Mr. C. B. Pratt, met at Chingford Station.
The day, beginning with thick mist, soon became cloudless, warm and
sunny, and the walk through the Forest was thoroughly enjoyed by all who
attended. No rain had fallen recently, and the ground was very dry almost
everywhere, while the trees had only just begun to assume their autumn
tints. Fungi were few in number; nevertheless, the usual number of well-
filled baskets were brought to the King's Oak Hotel at High Beach when
the two parties met there at 3.30 p.m.
The fungi were this year arranged, at the suggestion of the President,
Professor Ingold, in groups according to their association with various kinds
of tree. The labelling of the specimens in accordance with this ecological
classification was carried out by the members as they collected the fungi,
and gave much added interest to the day's proceedings.
As soon as the specimens were laid out, the President very kindly named
them, and at 4.30 the party, now numbering 49, sat down to tea. Address-