142 THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB, 



capital, debarring the use of costly modern appliances, thus compelling him to 

 use (as did the potters of old) his own natural resources. Thus Mr. Bingham 

 and his family still dig and refine their own clay, mix their own colours, fire their 

 own kilns, and do every necessary part of the work with their own hands. From 

 these causes, and by imbibing ideas and styles of antiquity, the Pottery of Castle 

 Hedingham seems to be a continuation of medieval work, as formerly carried on 

 for the Earls of Oxford in the demesne of Hedingham Castle, the keep of which 

 generally appears on the ware manufactured at the Pottery as a kind of trade 

 mark. There is a charm about the Hedingham Pottery from its originality and 

 quaintness, and we bade farewell to its maker feeling that no collector's cabinet 

 of pottery would be complete which did not contain specimens of Hedingham 

 ware." 



The fine Church was then visited, where they were very kindly received b}- 

 the Rev. H. A. Lake, Vicar, who explained the features of principal interest. 

 The chief portion of the Church is late Norman, or Transition, the carving 

 being more elaborate than that at the Castle. The chancel arch especially is one 

 of the finest pieces of work of the period to be found anywhere. The double 

 hammer-beam roof is of much later date, and also the screen, which is an 

 exquisite piece of carving. The fine tomb of De Vere, formerly in the centre of 

 the chancel, is now on the north side ; and also a stone (in a glass case) bearing 

 what is said to be a portrait of Queen Maud, wife of Stephen, which was found in 

 a niche on the north side of the Church. The Rev. J. Harvey Bloom, curate of 

 Springfield, then described the sepulchral monuments and heraldry, and Mr. 

 Walter Crouch added many interesting particulars, mentioning inter alia, that a 

 shaft of stone, curiously carved, and supposed to be a portion of the ancient 

 market cross at Castle Hedingham, had been found supporting a beam in the 

 cellar of the Falcon Inn. The date is circa 1120-30, and Mr. Hayward, who had 

 made a full-sized model of it, considered it was in all probability carved by the 

 same artist who carved the door of the Church. This model will be exhibited at the 

 next meeting of the Essex Arch. Soc. Some ingenious archceologist hazarded the 

 opinion that the stoup for holy water in the Church had been hollowed out from 

 a portion of the base of the same cross, and judging from the character of the 

 carving such a supposition might be correct. 



With the kind consent of Mr. and Mrs. Bevington, the present occupants, the 

 .party proceeded to the handsome modern residence near the Castle, where, 

 although Mr. and Mrs. Bevington were away from home themselves, they had 

 left instructions that every hospitality should be shown to the visitors, who were 

 accordingly entertained to an excellent tea, Miss Lake and other ladies presiding 

 at the tables. 



Then the grand old Norman Keep, the ancient home of the De \"eres, Earls 

 of Oxford from iioo to 1703, whose grey walls, built of Barnack stone, promise 

 to " stand four-square to all the winds that blow " for centuries yet to come, was 

 .examined by the kind permission of the owner, Mr. Majendie, and the roof also, 

 though somewhat insecure, was ascended. 



In the chief apartment on tlie state floor, a noble room spanned by a huge 

 arch, rising to a height of 21 feet, a meeting was held, when the Chairman, Mr. 

 E. A. Fitch, gave an admirable description of the Castle and its present remains, 

 and a short historical sketch of the family of De Vere. This was illustrated by 

 a fine collection of engravings, plans, etc. The first De Vere in this country 

 was Alberic, who came over with the Conqueror, " a man of good manors," no 



