W0onj0p^ JJaturalists' JFWb Club. 



LADIES' DAY, JULY 17th, 1888. 



The neighbourhood of Church Stretton (Stratum, a street), situated upon the 

 old Roman Road, Watling Street, leading from Wroxeter (Uriconium) through 

 Leintwardine (Bravinium) to Kenchester (Magna Castra), was selected for this 

 day's excursion. Both the princi))al roads in Shropshire bear the name of 

 Watling Street, one of which crosses the country from east to west, the other 

 from north to south. As regards the etymology of the word. Bishop Butler 

 says it is uncertain, but it may be corrupted from the name of Vitellianus into 

 Vitelin or Watling Street. There is, however, no name for the road in the 

 Itinerary of Antoninus. Mr. Wright says : " The Saxons, who planted their 

 own local traditions wherever they settled, connected this wonderful work with 

 one of their own mythic traditions, and called it Wsetlinga Street, the road of 

 the Wsetlings or sous of Wsetla, and it was celebrated down to recent times as the 

 Watling Street, a name still retained by the portion of it which ran through 

 London. King Waetla was, no doubt, a personage of the Anglo-Saxon mythology. 

 The milky-way was also popularly called Watling Street, and it is mentioned 

 under this name by Chaucer." 



In Herefordshire we have examples of the retention of the name Stretton, 

 or of one or other of its synonyms, in Stretton Grandison ; in Stretton Sugwas 

 near the ancient Roman camp of Kenchester, and in Stone Street on the opposite 

 side of the Wye, in the parish of Madley, leading to this camp. We have also 

 New Street between Dore and Dulas ; Whitchurch Street between Goodrich 

 Cross and Ganarew ; Street Lane near Shuckenhill ; Street Court and Stretford 

 Bridge near Leominster, etc. 



Carriages met the members at Church Stretton Railway Station, and con- 

 veyed them through the parishes of Hope Bowdler and Cardington to Plaish 

 Hall, an interesting old Manor House, restored in the sixteenth century by 

 brickwork incorporated into the earlier stonework, which was, by the kind per- 

 mission of Mr. Edward Sayer, left open for inspection. After hearing a paper 

 delivered by the President in the oak-pannelled i)arlour, seats were resumed in 

 the carriages for the return journey through the village of Cardington. 



Upon arrival at the base of Caer Caradoc at its northern extremity, the 

 Rev. J. D. La Touche halted the party in order to point out in the lane an 

 exposure of Hollybush Sandstone, a formation containing fossils earlier than 

 any in the Silurian Rocks. The ascent of Caer Caradoc was made by the 

 majority of the party upon its western slope, but, for the benefit of future 



