THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 215 



no doubt that he had a strong predisposition to see ' Druidical ' remains in many of 

 the ancient earthworks which he visited. But however visionary his theories, I 

 have no doubt that he actually saw something worthy of note on Navestock Common. 

 He has left a drawing of the supposed ' temple,' of which we have been fortunate 

 enough to secure a copy, through our old friend, Mr. Walter Crouch. What 

 the doctor actually saw, it is now impossible to decide, but I am disposed to 

 think that some kind of an entrenchment was here, of which a great portion has been 

 irlled in and levelled by cultivation, and by the construction of the road which runs 

 alongside of it. The remnant before you was seen by the ordnance surveyors of 

 this district and is distinctly entered on the 6-inch map as an excavation, but, 

 wisely, without note or comment. Our reasons for identifying this with Stukeley's 

 site are that it agrees in all respects with his description. He says it was situated 

 on elevated ground on a wild and open common ; that it was on the dyke 

 separating the Hundred of Ongar from the Hundred of Chafford ; that St. Paul's 

 could be seen from it and that a windmill was near. The dyke separating the 

 Hundreds runs along the bottom of this field ; in Stukeley's time this was a wild 

 and open common and less than a mile to the east stood Bentley Mill. The belt 

 of trees now shutting out the view towards London, was not there when Stukeley 

 visited the place : in the old ordnance map this copse, now called the Mores, is 

 entered as the ' New Plantation.' My colleague, Mr. Coode Hore, discovered 

 this excavation and drew my attention to it ; if we are right in locating Stukeley's 

 'temple ' here it is certainly an interesting rediscovery of a lost site. That there 

 was an entrenchment where the present fosse now runs, will not be doubted by 

 those experts who are accustomed to the appearance of such ancient excavations.] 

 The ' alate ' form has probably been exaggerated in Stukeley's drawing in order to 

 emphasise his theories." 



The carriages were then re-entered, and the drive was continued by Navestock 

 Side to the summer-house in Navestock Park (not far from Dudbrooke House) 

 near the site of the hall, demolished in 181 1, the new Dudbrooke House having 

 been built about a mile away. Here the party met with a cordial reception at the 

 hands of Mr. and Mrs. D. P. Sellar, who are now living at Dudbrook, and who 

 had most kindly provided a sumptuous luncheon in a marquee erected neai llie 

 summer-house, from whence charming views were obtained of the park, of the 

 lake, and of the beautiful and well-wooded country beyond. 



Mr. and Mrs. Sellars having welcomed the guests, were obliged to leave, owing 

 to another engagement, but they were not allowed to go before a hearty vote ot 

 thanks had been tendered to them by the President, Mr. Chancellor, on behalf of 

 the company. 



An Ordinary iNIeeting of the club (the 150th) was then held, the President in 

 the chair. 



Mrs. Horace T. Brown was elected a member. 



The Secretary stated that he had received a letter from the City Solicitor say- 

 ing that the Epping Forest Committee had granted the application of the Club 

 with regard to the establishment of a small local museum, to illustrate the natural 

 history and archaeology of Epping Forest, in the Queen Elizabeth's Lodge, at 

 Chingford, subject to an agreement to be entered into between the parties, the 

 draft of which the City Solicitor would prepare and submit to the Council of the 

 Club, 



I The '■ Temple isdistinutly described as an earthwork in the •• Diaries"; no stone i-, mentioned. 



