212 



HEREFORDSHIRE BEACON. 



[Joint l\[eetins (if Woolboiie Naturalists' Field Cluli, and Malvern Naturalists' 

 Field Club, May 20th, 1880.] 



May, " flowery Maj'," as poets delight to call it, has again come upon the scene ; 

 and birds, insects, and plants are all upon the move — 



" Sweet flowers return to life, 



While bright the sun is beaming ; 

 Nature with joy is rife, 

 The earth with beauty teeming." 



With determination to take advantage of an auspicious season, the officers of the 



Malvern and Woolhope Naturalists' Field Clubs resolved upon a joint excursion 



to the southern part of the Malvern Hills, and to unite in their studies both 



Natural History and Archseology. 



Thursday, May 20th, was the day fixed upon for the expedition, and the 

 weather fortunately proved the finest that the year has yet witnessed. The Wor- 

 cester contingent started by rail from the Foregate-street station at an early hour, 

 and at Great Malvern vehicles had been provided to convey the Worcester and 

 Malvern members to the Wind's Point, at the northern base of the Herefordshire 

 Beacon, where they were joined by the Woolhope Club, who, in several carriages, 

 took the route from Ledbury by Eastnor and the Ridgeway, pausing to contem- 

 plate the well-known Mistletoe Oak in Eastnor Park. The united party consisted 

 of nearly 60 persons, including a sprinkling of adventurous ladies. Mr. G. H. 

 Piper, F.G.S., President of the Malvern Club, headed his friends, accompanied 

 by Mr. Edwin Lees, F.L.S., vice-president, Dr. Frank Powell, hon. sec, and 

 Messrs. G. Sheppard, Hilary Hill, H. H. Lines, J. Tom Burgess, F.S.A., Rev. 

 — Rivington (Tewkesbury), E. Edgell, Rev. R. P. Hill, J. Greaves, B. Dawson, 

 Capt. J. R. Smith and friend, Capt, J. H. Frowde, W. Madeley, hon. sec. 

 Dudley Club, F. G. Hilton Price, F.G.S., &c. 



The Woolhope Club were marshalled by their officers, Mr. J. H. Knight, 

 president, and Mr. Theophilus Lane, secretary. 



An examination of the trenches of the Herefordshire Beacon was the firs 

 object, and on the arrival of the Woolhopians the assault was commenced, which 

 proved rather arduous work, as Mr. Lines, who was here the Cicerone, led 

 his friends up the glacis of the hill, where was no regular path, and the highest 

 point is 1,390 feet above the sea level. After reaching the summit of the castra- 

 metation, as a north-west ^vind blew rather sharply, a descent was made into the 

 deep fosse surrounding the citadel, where Mr. Lines, having expanded a large 

 elaborate map of the trenches and earthworks, which he had himself formed with 

 most assiduous care, proceeded to read a paper containing his ideas and con- 

 clusions as to the formation of the camp, its age, and its occupants. The following 

 extract from Mr. Lines' paper will present an outline of his views on the subject 

 after attentive study. He said— 



