■228 
THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 
At Willingale Spain, the party were received at the Church by 
Rector, the Rev. C. Lennard Payne, who pointed out in a short address 
the principal points of interest. 
The nave is of Norman date, built of flints in courses, with Roman 
tiles to the quoins and round the door-openings ; the chancel is later, 
of' Perpendicular architecture. The holy table is the original altar-top 
of Barnack stone, worked by the Norman builders with the characteristic 
abacus-splay, and with the consecration-crosses still visible upon it. 
One of the most interesting features of the church is a series of drawings, 
incised with thin lines in the stonework of the perpendicular windows 
and of the chancel-arch.* These drawings, possible the work of an acolyte 
or minor ecclesiastic in pre-Reformation times, are lightly and firmly cut 
into the surface of the stone, and betray alike a fair draughtsman and a 
familiarity with the objects represented, which latter comprise an arch¬ 
bishop in mitre and chasuble with Y-shaped orphrey and carrying his 
crozier (not a crook), repeated drawings of crossbows, a bishop with pastoral 
staff, a winged human face (said to typify “ life ”), a drawing of a skeleton 
with darts in either hand (to typify “ death ), various undeciphered names 
or inscriptions in black letter character and cursive script, and a represen¬ 
tation of the sacred monogram IHS. in tall upright Old English text. 
The last mentioned inscription is especially interesting, as it offers proof of 
the antiquity of the work. The rector, who discovered all these drawings, 
now nearly 20 years ago, stated that they were all hidden either by brick 
casing or by plaster, hence their good preservation. On the chancel arch 
jamb had been deeply cut in the plaster, which then covered the stone¬ 
work, some initials and dates of the 18th century : these penetrated through 
the plaster into the stone beneath, and may still be seen now the plaster 
is gone 1 and it is noteworthy that one of these dated inscriptions cuts 
through IHS. in such a way as to show that the latter existed before the 
former. 
The original Norman crescent hinges to the north door are now refixed ? 
in their exact relative positions, on the inside of a new oak door to the 
modern vestry : new strengthening bars of iron have been added to the 
old hinges, but are easily distinguishable therefrom. 
Tea was taken at the Bell Inn, Willingale, at about half- past four. 
And afterwards a short meeting of the Club was held for formal business. 
New Member.—Mr. F. J. Bennett, F.G.S. (late of H.M. Geological 
Survey), The Cottage , Hatfield Pevevel , was elected a Member. 
A hearty vote of thanks was passed to the Rev. C. Lennard Payne, for 
his kind assistance during the afternoon. 
The party was then driven to Norton Heath for further botanising. 
The high ground of Norton Heath, at 325 ft. O.D., is formed by one 
of the smallest Essex outliers of the Bagshot Pebble Beds, which rise 
above the sheet of Chalky Boulder Clay and Glacial Gravels which else¬ 
where mantle the surface of the country for miles around in all directions. 
The surface of the small heath has been much disturbed by shallow ex¬ 
cavations for gravel, which have largely worked off the thin capping of 
♦The description of these incised drawings is furnished by Mr. Percy Thompson, 
who took careful rubbings and notes about a dozen years ago. Mr. Thompson is not 
aware that these drawings have been described before. 
