94 THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 



specimen, with the molar teeth, measuring 33 inches in length. All these Ilford 

 remains were, when found, in a very brittle condition, and great care had to be 

 taken in extracting and hardening them in a solution of gelatine. The careful 

 and delicate work required was arranged by the late W. Davies, F.G.S., a zealous 

 and painstaking assistant in the British Museum. 



Passing along southward to the pre-historic camp of Uphall, the members 

 were taken to the top of " Lavender Mount," close by the river Roding, by the 

 kind permission of Mr. Hollington. From that point of vantage Mr. Crouch 

 expl lined, with the aid of a detailed plan prepared by him some years ago, the 

 remaining earth works and entrenchments, and the probable course of the old 

 camp, the circumference of which had certainly exceeded a mile in length, enclosing 

 about forty-eight acres ; extending from the river to Barking Lane, and from the 

 farmhouse to Lowbrook. The camp in general contour and size much resembles 

 the well-known one at Pleshy. It is somewhat square in form, and has been sup- 

 posed to be Roman, but only careful excavations could settle the age, and it is 

 hoped that an investigation will be undertaken before the earth works disappear, 

 as so many others near London have done. From its general form and position 

 it was probably a British settlement, subsequently occupied by the Romans, who 

 commonly adopted them as sites for their own camps. So far as he was aware, 

 however, no remains of any kind, such as pottery, coins, or implements, had ever 

 been found there, or at any rate recorded, that would in any way furnish a clue to 

 its origin. The earth works may still be traced for a considerable distance round 

 by the lane, but were much higher and more distinct some thirty years ago when 

 covered with grass. At the present time the action of the plough is gradually 

 reducing their height, and in a few years that portion will, in all probability, have 

 entirely disappeared. '[Vide Mr. Crouch's paper, "Ancient Entrenchments at 

 Uphall, near Barking, Essex," in present number.] 



Mr. Crouch concluded his brief sketch by saying that it was at all times a 

 pleasure to him to revisit this neighbourhood, having in years past spent many 

 happy days, not only in the house here, but in the Old Manor House at Little 

 Ilford, across the river. 



Leaving the camp, the party proceeded by Barking Lane and Ley Street to 

 the brick-earth pits nearly a mile eastward of Ilford, now in course of working. 

 Here the interesting sections of fossil iferous brick-earth were inspected, containing 

 abundant " pockets " of " race," concretionary nodules, composed mainly of car- 

 bonate of lime, with a small percentage of phosphate and alumina. 



The remains found here have been less in number, and more fragmentary than 

 the old " classic " finds at Uphall. A few bones of mammoth, ox, and horse taken 

 here were shown by Mr. Crouch, who had prepared rough sketches to show the 

 actual position of these bones in the skeleton. A few broken portions of bones of 

 mammoth and ox were found on this occasion. 



At a meeting of the Geologists' Association, held here on March 25th, a search 

 was made for the fossil shells (non-marine) which occur sometim.es in great 

 abundance both here and formerly at the Uphall pits. Only a few were 

 found, of the genera Succinea, Planorhis^ Byilmiia^ and Pisidiuin^ and a block 

 of siliceous stone, tested with the hammer, was pronounced to be a " Sarsen 

 boulder." 



From the pits, the foot-bridge over the railway was taken leading to the main 



