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The first field meeting of the Club was held on Thursday, May 20th, when, 

 by the kind invitation of the President of the Malvern Naturalists' Field Club, a 

 joint excursion to the southern part of the Malvern Hills was arranged. The 

 weather, fortunately, proved very fine. The members of this Club went by rail to 

 Ledbury, and in carriages from thence through Eastnor Park, and by the Ridge- 

 way to the Wind's Point, pausing by the way to contemplate the well-known 

 Mistletoe Oak in Eastnor Park. 



At the Wind's Point, the members of our Club were met and welcomed by 

 those of the Malvern Club. An examination of the trenches of the Herefordshire 

 Beacon being the first object, the ascent was commenced under the direction of 

 Mr. Lines. After reaching the summit of the castrametation, and examining it, 

 a descent was made into the deep fosse surrounding the citadel, where Mr. Lines 

 having expanded a large and elaborate map of the trenches and earthworks, pre- 

 pared by himself with great care, proceeded to read a paper containing his ideas 

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



The President of the Malvern Club (Mr. G. H. Piper), who had, in the 

 preceding autumn, with unremitting and valuable personal efforts initiated and 

 carried out a course of research by digging out the whole citadel from end to end, 

 down to its rock base, then read a learned and exhaustive paper on "The Grand 

 Castrametation, "and quoted the various opinions of antiquaries thereon — the result 

 of Mr. Piper's remarks was that in his opinion the fortification of the hill was t! e 

 work of the early Britons, and that it was occupied and defended in Roman times, 

 and against the Roman power. Afterwards the Romano-Britons may have 

 garrisoned it. 



This paper was followed by some very interesting remarks of Mr. E. Lees, 

 who expressed a different view, and said that in his opinion, the occupation of the 

 Herefordshire Beacon as a fortress of defence was subsequent to Roman times, 

 and that such a stupendous system of ramparts and trenches could scarcely have 

 been formed for a mere temporary purpose, but must have been garrisoned when- 

 ever an invading force was present. Mr. F. G. H, Price, of London, gave a 

 detailed account of all the articles and relics that had been found in the excava- 

 tions made in the preceding autumn, at the summit of the Beacon camp. 



The members then partook of a bread-and-cheese luncheon which the 

 Malvern Club had kindly provided on the summit of the Beacon, which was 

 thoroughly enjoyed, and suitable thanks were given by your President to the 

 Malvern Club for their hospitality. The party then descended to Clutter's Cave, 

 to the Silurian Pass, and along the western base of Swinyard Hill, to the head of 

 the Gullet Glen, and many of the members ascended the Hollybush HUl and sur- 

 veyed the castrametation there. 



Progress was then made to Bronsil Castle. This ruined structure only 

 presents the remains of one of the entrance towers, but the site, which is a tangled 

 mass of bushes, evergreens, and weeds, is surrounded by a very wide moat, over 

 which is a narrow bridge. The vicinity is pretty, and near the castle is a modem 



