THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 155 
After leaving Rickling Hall the exterior of Rickling Church was examined, 
and the lichenologists of the party found considerable spoil on the stonework 
of the building and on the ancient tombstones. From thence the route 
lay over the water parting into the Wicken Valley; on the left a glimpse 
was caught of the Moat Farm of gruesome memory, and at Wicken the 
party alighted to inspect a fine exposure of the Mid-glacial Gravels. 
Passing through Wicken to Wicken Bonhunt, the ancient Chapel of 
St. Elane was seen on the right: and at Newport the party alighted and, 
crossing the stream, visited the gravel pits. Here an extremely interesting 
section of faulted and contorted Mid-glacial Gravel, overlaid by Boulder 
Clay, was seen and photographed. It is difficult to account for such perfect 
faulting in loose gravels and loams. At the entrance to the pits the clay 
and gravel is curiously contorted and seems to indicate a definite line of 
pressure by the ice sheet. It is possible, as a member suggested, that 
the faulting may have occurred under this pressure when the gravel was 
in a frozen and, therefore, consolidated condition. After leaving this pit 
the party returned to Saffron Walden for tea. 
Saturday was spent in and about the town. At 9.30 the party left the 
Hotel, under the guidance of Mr. Raymond, the chemist to the works, to 
inspect the cement manufacture at the Works on the Thaxted Road. Here 
the processes of mixing and filtering the Chalk and Boulder Clay, the settling 
of the “slurry ’’ in open pans, the air-drying and subsequent burning of the 
residue in kilns, and the final grinding and packing of the manufactured 
article, were, in turn, ably demonstrated by the conductor. 
Leaving the Works, a quick walk was made to the Church, where the 
Rev. Montagu Benton gave an interesting account of the architecture and 
history of the fabric. 
Leaving the Church a walk of three quarters of a mile brought the party 
to Engelmann’s Carnation Nursery where, under the guidance of the genial 
proprietor and his foreman, an hour was spent in inspecting a small portion 
of the extensive range of glass houses, and the innumerable varieties of this 
favourite flower. 
After lunch at the Hotel, a pleasant walk via Abbey Lane and the Park 
brought the party to the Lion Gate of Audley End; passing through the 
gate the visitors came to the front of the mansion, and, by the courtesy of 
Lord Braybrooke, enjoyed the privilege of inspecting this historical build- 
ing with its treasures of art and science, Lord Braybrooke’s agent and the 
housekeeper acting as conductors, 
The Mansion was begun in 1603 and finished in 1616, by the Earl of Suffolk, 
Thomas Howard, the grandson of Sir Thomas Audley, Chancellor to Henry 
VIII., to whom was granted the estate of the Abbey of Walden after its 
dissolution in 1537. The original building was of immense size, including 
two courts, woodyard, great kitchen, etc. The north, south and west of 
the great courtyard, with the kitchen, were demolished in 1721, and 30 years 
later the East range of the inner courtyard, with the projecting wings, was 
also destroyed. The building was extensively restored in the 18th and 
I9th centuries, and is now of half H shaped plan with the wings extending 
towards the east. 
Passing through the building the Great Hall, with its screen and many 
works of art, its great chimney-piece of 17th century date, and numerous 
