x Journal of Proceedings.
There was on the side of the Lea a fine pointed archway, built of masonry
largely repaired with red bricks. He believed that in the beginning of the
present century a good deal more of that gateway existed; some of it fell.
The old Abbey-walls extended for a considerable distance, and a few of those
present, he dared say, went into that beautiful little building now called
the potato-house. That, as far as he could make out, must have been a
portion of the Abbot's house, guest house, or hospicium. Even in its
present degraded and dilapidated condition, it was a beautiful specimen
of ancient monastic buildings. The destruction of the central tower of
the Church of course necessitated the erection of another for the bells,
and in 1556 the present tower at the west end was built. He would just
say, in regard to Harold, that good men's deeds lived after them, and the
massive walls of the Church which Harold had erected remained to test
the fact of the survival of the good; and good it was, though there might
be a difference of opinion in these days as to the utility of a religious
foundation. Harold's name was a memory dear to many, and would be
so as long as bravery was held in good repute and misfortunes were
pitied. (Applause.)
A considerable discussion arose on some points touched upon in Mr.
Birch's paper, in which Rev. W. Linton Wilson, Mr. Godwin, Mr. Robarts,
Mr. Fisher Unwin, and Mr. Friswell took part. In replying to these
questions and observations, Mr. Birch said there were no remains
whatever of Earl Tovi's Church, which was founded about A. D. 1000, and
which must have been very small, as the foundation was for only two
priests. As to the date of the bridge, which lies a little to the north of
the Church and which had been regarded as of contemporary date, he
thought it must have been built about the 15th century, as it had a four-
centred arch, which did not appear in England till about that time.
With regard to the pillars being decorated with spiral lines and chevrons,
the description of Harold's Church spoke of Harold adorning his building
with plates of metal gilt, and Dr. Freeman as well as Fuller had fancied
that brass must have been let into those flutings. All who knew anything
at all about brass knew that it was not malleable, like lead ; it had to bo
cast, and therefore brass could never have been put into those chevrons
and flutings. However, in making an examination of the pillars that
day, he (Mr. Birch) had noticed marks of rivets, and it certainly occurred
to him at the time that Dr. Freeman was not after all so very far wrong.
The question was, whether some copper-gilt or other metal might not
have been so inserted. As to the stone of which the Church was con-
structed, he thought it was Carnac, and there would be no difficulty in
accounting for its transportation to Waltham—it was probably brought
up the Thames and the Lea. It was not Caen stone, which was not
introduced into England until a later period.
A very hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Birch for his valuable
dissertation and the assistance given during the meeting ; also to the Rev.
J. Francis for the use of the room, and to Dr. Priest and Mr. Wakefield