SESSION 1906-1907. lix 



arcli. The west tower retains much of its twelfth century design. 

 " The most noticeable feature of the Church," Cussans says in 

 his ' History of Hertfordshire ' (Cashio Hundred, p. 233), " is the 

 chancel screen supporting the rood-beam. It is of carved oak 

 and is the only example of a groined and canopied screen in the 

 County. Its western face is absolutely perfect, but on the other 

 side the canopies have been replaced by deal, and painted." 

 There are traces of several sun-dials on the Chixrch, which are 

 most clearly seen on a buttress on the south side of the nave and 

 on that south-west of the chancel. 



Leaving the Church the party inspected the ancient entrenched 

 camp called the Aubreys, walking all round it in the hollow so 

 far as it was passable, but it was partly under water. The camp 

 has been described in the account of a previous meeting. 



After having tea in Kedbourn the party dispersed. 



Field Meeting, 6th July, 1907. 

 DUNSTABLE, MAIDEX BOWER, AND TOTTERNEOE. 



This was a joint meeting with the Barnet Natural History 

 Society, and w^as under the direction of Mr. James Saunders, to 

 whom the Editor is indebted for the information in the following 

 account. 



The party, numbering over twenty, on leaving the train at 

 Church Street, Dunstable, proceeded to the Priory Church, the 

 principal architectural features of which were duly appreciated, 

 especially the well-known Norman arch of the west front. 



A field-path was then taken to Maiden Bower near Sewell. 

 This consists of a circular mound enclosing a field of several 

 acres in extent, now under cultivation. Depressions seen in 

 the mound indicate the points of exit. Many flint flakes and 

 implements, relics of the prehistoric occupiers, have been found 

 here by Mr. Worthington G. Smith. In the field thei'e were 

 observed several plants of an agrarian weed known as the large 

 earth-nut, Carum Bulbocastanum. It is of comparatively modern 

 introduction as a Bedfordshii-e plant, probably early in the 

 nineteenth century, and at present its know^n distribution in 

 England is confined to Cambs, Herts, Beds, and Bucks. 



The party then passed by the lime-works on the north-west of 

 the Totternhoe Hills where a large exposure of the Lower Chalk 

 is visible, as it is extensively used for the making of lime. 

 Only a small section of Totternhoe Stone is now exposed, owing 

 to the demand for it being very small. 



On reaching Totternhoe Knoll the Roman earthworks were 

 seen, and also the depressions in the ancient greensward which 

 mark the positions of the original hut-circles. Amongst the 

 plants noticed here were Polygala vulgaris, Hippocrepis comosa, 

 FimpineUa major, P. saxifraga, Galium tricorne, G. saxatile, 

 Avena pubescens, and Koeleria cristata. 



