. Essex naturalist: being the journal of the Essex Field Club. the histories and guide books of Essex containsome reference to ancient remains which existed on Navestock Common, thesite being sometimes confused with Navestock Heath, which is about a milefrom our present position. As soon as it was decided to hold a meeting in thisdistrict, I determined to find out the evidence on which this statement as toancient remains on Navestock Common was based, and ultimately traced it toStukeley. It is his description which has been transferred under various guisesto the histories and guide books, some
. Essex naturalist: being the journal of the Essex Field Club. the histories and guide books of Essex containsome reference to ancient remains which existed on Navestock Common, thesite being sometimes confused with Navestock Heath, which is about a milefrom our present position. As soon as it was decided to hold a meeting in thisdistrict, I determined to find out the evidence on which this statement as toancient remains on Navestock Common was based, and ultimately traced it toStukeley. It is his description which has been transferred under various guisesto the histories and guide books, sometimes with the confusion of site alreadymentioned. Nobody had since identified these remains and the Common itselfhas since his time been completely under cultivation. Dr. Stukeley seerued verypartial to this spot ; there are three references to his visits in the Diaries atintervals of several years, as you will learn from Mr. Coode Hores paper. It isnow generally admitted that Stukeleys theories were often fanciful and there can be 214 THE ESSEX FIELD THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 215 no doubt that he had a strong predisposition to see Druidical remains in many ofthe ancient earthworks which he visited. But however visionary his theories, Ihave no doubt that he actually saw something worthy of note on Navestock has left a drawing of the supposed temple, of which we have been fortunateenough to secure a copy, through our old friend, Mr. Walter Crouch. Whatthe doctor actually saw, it is now impossible to decide, but I am disposed tothink that some kind of an entrenchment was here, of which a great portion has beenirlled in and levelled by cultivation, and by the construction of the road which runsalongside of it. The remnant before you was seen by the ordnance surveyors ofthis district and is distinctly entered on the 6-inch map as an excavation, but,wisely, without note or comment. Our reasons for identifying this with Stukeleyssite are that it agrees in all respects w
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