SESSION 1905-1906. xxxiii 



to which they are subjected, the members proceeded, some by 

 rail from Harpenden and others cycling, to St. Albans, where 

 they were hospitably entertained at tea by the President and 

 Mrs. Morison at their residence, Thirlestane. 



Field Meeting, 7th July, 1906. 

 BERKHAMSTED. 



A numerous party assembled at Berkhamsted Castle, some 

 having come by train from various parts of the county, but 

 the majority consisting of cyclists, chiefly from Watford and 

 St. Albans. Mr. Edward Mawley acted as Director, conducted 

 the members round the ruins, and read an interesting paper liy 

 Mr. Montgomerie giving an account of the foundation of the 

 Castle and of the results of excavations carried on for three 

 years, being at first under the auspices of the Eev. Canon 

 Norman and Mr. William Page, and subsequently under his 

 own direction. This paper will be found in the present volume 

 of our ' Transactions ' (pp. 195-198). 



Nothing but a few outer walls of flint-rubble now remains of 

 the Castle in which Edward the Third and the Black Prince 

 held their Court, and which was besieged by Louis of France 

 in the reign of King John, all the available stone having been 

 removed for building purposes, but the foundations of several 

 towers and other l^uildings have been discovered in these excava- 

 tions, with those of the south gateway facing the town in a line 

 with Castle Street, and a chapel on the west side. A pavement 

 of encaustic tiles has also been found. 



The party then visited the Parish Church of St. Peter, where 

 the Rector, the Rev. H. Constable Curtis, explained the features 

 of interest in the building and its associations with notable 

 persons, from the Black Prince, one of whose Esquires, John 

 Raven, was buried here, to the poet Cowper, to whom there is 

 a memorial window at the west end. The Church was built 

 in the thirteenth century, though indications of earlier work 

 have been traced. It was originally in the form of a Greek 

 cross, the nave having subsequently been lengthened, and 

 chantry chapels having been added on both sides of the chancel, 

 one of which, dedicated to St. Catherine, is now used for daily 

 service. There was also a third chapel, St. John's, which has 

 been thrown into the south aisle. It was once used by the boys 

 of Berkhamsted Grammar School, but there are indications of 

 its having at a more distant period been connected with the 

 Knights Hospitallers of St. John. Many interesting tombs and 

 memorials exist, including recumbent effigies of Sir Richard 

 Torrington and his wife, which date from the fourteenth century. 



The members then proceeded to Rosebank, the residence of 

 Mr. and Mrs. Mawley, who very kindly entertained them at tea, 

 after which they were conducted over the garden, chiefly devoted 



