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 

 Ijresent 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 w^alls of the Church which Harold had erected remained to test 

 the fact of the sur\ival 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 Kev. W. Linton Wilson, Mr. Godwin, Mr. Eobarts, 

 Mr. Fisher UnA\"in, and Mr. Friswell took part. In replying to these 

 questions and observations, ^h\ Birch said there were no remains 

 whatever of Earl To\'i'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, wliich hes a Httle to the north of 

 the Church and wliich 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 che\Tons, 

 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 be 

 cast, and therefore brass could never have been put into those che^'rons 

 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 Eev. 

 J. Francis for the use of the room, and to Dr. Priest and Mr. Wakefield 



