THE ESSEX FIELD CI.UI!. 



M5 



the centre of the ]iit, and from it, in most cases, three chambers branch out on 

 one side and three on the other, in a kind of double-trefoil pattern. The largest 

 chambers are those which are opposite the openings at the bottom of the shaft, 

 and the greatest length of each cavern is that obtained by measuring the length 

 of a straight line passing through the centre of the shaft to the ends of the oppo- 

 site chambers. Oi iginally separate, these deneholes are so close together that 

 the thin chalk partition between two chambers in adjacent pits has sometimes 

 been accidentall}' fractured. Though there are, as already stated, more than fifty 

 separate denelioles in Hangman's Wood, only five shafts are now open, the rest 

 !ia\ing fallen in at \-arious periods. 



Fig. ?. — Grovind-plan o( Oer.ehole No. 



sliowinc 

 ill \S?-, 



lam.-ige caused sul^equent to explorations 



The shafts are narrow, and were originally less than three feet in diameter. 

 The geological section of each varies only in the slightest degree. The chalk 

 appears to be l3'ing nearly flat, but the thickness of the old river gravel at the 

 surface varies slightly, so does that of the chalk roof of the chambers ; and the 

 heiy^ht uf the caverns, as already mentioned, is somewhat variable. The shaft of 

 the pit (■' No. 3 " on the plan published in the Report alluded to abo\-e) by 

 which the descent was made at the present meeting presents the following section 



of strata traversed : — 



ft. in. 



Old river Gravel 6 6 



Thanet Sand 51 o 



Chalk, roof of pit 4 6 



,, height of chambers ... ... ... ... 18 o 



So o 



The oiigin and rdiso/i d'elii of these interesting [)re-historic jjits, which bear a 

 general resemblance to those which occur at Crayford, Bexle}', and other places on 

 the Kentish side of the river Thames, is still to some extent a matter of conjecture, 

 in spite of the extended work carried on at a great expense by the Club in 1884 

 and 1887, when the accumulations of Thanet sand, chalk, and general cebris were 

 carefully sifted to the level of some of the original floors ; but they are undoubt- 

 edly of great age, and the general opinion is that they formed refuges, or 



L 



