REPORTS OF MEETINGS
83
ample and welcome tea. Although speeches had been barred from the pro-
gramme the President, Mr. Edgar E. Syms, made a few brief remarks wel-
coming the guests and referring to the future meetings of the Club.
After tea we re-joined the coaches and commenced the final part, of the
itinerary. The route. lay through Rayne, sometime the home of Miss Eliza
Vaughan, daughter of the Rev. Canon Vaughan, a noted naturalist, and her-
self a botanist of repute, and then through Dunmow by way of Hatfield
Broad Oak and Sheering to Harlow and so to Epping.
Here the final visit was made to the Meeting House of the Society of Friends
in the grounds of which lie the remains of Henry Doubleday. Greeted in kindly
fashion by Mr. Martin Edmunds the leader of the Society in Epping, we were
shown the spot where a small square stone marks Doubleday's resting place.
The leader gave a short history of his life and work but in the confined space
the activity of numerous midges made it undesirable to continue for long and
we proceeded into the busy High Street to view the house at one time
occupied by Doubleday for his grocery, hardware and provision business. The
building is still used as a provision shop. We then rejoined the coaches when
an evening run through Epping Forest soon brought the party back to
Wanstead where they dispersed.
The thanks of the Club are due to Mr. Bernard Ward who organised and
led this memorable meeting and provided the report here printed.
Visit to Ongar, Greenstead and Willingale (1,001st Meeting)
SUNDAY, 23 SEPTEMBER, 1956
Twenty-four members met at 10.15 a.m., at Abridge. Those with cars had
kindly olfered seats to those without cars so that very soon the whole party-
was driving to Passingford Bridge which was to be the first stop. Here the
cars were parked and the party set off along the field-path towards Stapleford
Tawney.
The day was warm and sunny, although the wet and muddy state of the
path gave testimony to the wet weather which had prevailed during the
preceding months. In the woodland alongside the path robins were singing
and as the path crossed the stubbles on rising ground many skylarks were
seen but only once was the song of the lark heard. Flocks of finches were
also feeding on the stubbles. When the footpath reached the Tawney road a
turn to the left was made and the lane was followed back to the cars.
The members then drove to Ongar where the cars were parked and the
party entered Wilderness House, the residence of Mr. Denis A. J. Buxton,
where they were received by Mr. Buxton's daughter, Mrs. Mary Buxton.
Mrs. Buxton led the way through the charming garden to the earthworks
adjoining. These are all that remains of Ongar Castle. The outer dry moat
which once surrounded the whole village was shown and then were seen the
outer and inner water-filled moats surrounding the central motte of the
Castle. On circling the inner moat a wooden plank bridge was reached and
this, with due regard for its obviously limited weight-carrying capacity, the
more agile members of the party crossed to reach the motte.
The motte was found to be very steep and only to be climbed with the
assistance afforded by the saplings with which it is fairly thickly grown.
Those who climbed to the top found the remains of the brick-built summer
house which was erected during the last century and a list was made of the
numerous species of plants which were growing on the motte. These included
Black Bryony. Great Mullein, Raspberry, Spear Plume Thistle and Clematis
Vitalba.