Febraory 8, 1877. 1 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTDBE AND OOTTAQB GARDENER. 



101 



estate. A short distance above Broomholm there is a grotto 

 npon which much labour has been bestowed. It is a rocky 

 island, and is reached from the east side of the river by au 

 iron bridge. It is a secluded and romantic spot surrounded 

 by deep woods and well worth a visit. From Broomholm to 

 Netherby " the Buccleuch " is " monarch of all yon survey ;" 

 and on emerging from the avenue yon come upon Irving House, 

 tbo residence of his Grace's chamberlain, a mansion worthy of 

 a Dake. The garden is close to the public road, but merits 

 no special notice. There are soma grand old trees about the 

 mansion, highly appreciated apparently by a colony of rooks. 

 The Bsk, which here makes a graceful sweep round the grounds 

 of Irving House, is joined by the Larras, a dark rugged moun- 

 tain stream that comes tumbling down a deeply wooded glen ; 

 and high above the topmost trees are seen the arches of a mag- 

 nificent viadnot traversed by railway trains in their journeys 

 to and from Langholm. The next object that catches the eye I 



is a grim old Border Keep. It is the only one in the locality 

 that has been spared, but you cannot look from that relio of 

 antiquity to the commodious if not elegant homesteads nestling 

 all around without exclaiming, " Say not that the former times 

 were better than these." The road and the river which had 

 parted company again converge, and on passing a group of 

 cottages with the addition of a good meal mill you reach the 

 far-famod Gilnockie bridge, and here the scenery is such that 

 it cannot be dismissed with a casual notice. 



The appearance of the river as it rounds a sharp curve above 

 the mill and comes tumbling over horizontal beds of limestone, 

 and chafing against the cliffs that are overhung with stately 

 trees, with the bills, the wood, the homesteadings, and the 

 old Peel tower in the background, form an exquisite picture. 

 Nor is the scenery on the south side of the bridge less striking, 

 for you look down upon a wild mass of limestone boulders 

 through which the river sweeps iu many dark eddies, while 



, 16. — Xetkeedy uall. 



among the great blocks on the precipitous western bank are 

 the ruins of a bower erected by the Duchess of Buccleuch. 

 But the interest does not end here, for on examining the rocks 

 they are seen to afford a rich field for the geologist. Here are 

 sea shells compared with which the same species in the present 

 age are mere pigmies, along with what appear to be exotic 

 Ferns and other plants : but here I am out of my element, 

 being better acquainted with the living than the petrified spe- 

 cimens. The river here trawls below a massive stone bridge 

 leading over a deep romantic glen called Byre Burn. On 

 oroseing the bridge the view up the river is vei7 fine ; yet 

 beyond that there is little that merits special notice, till again 

 the river ia crossed by an old bridge of throe arches springing 

 on the east side from a red sand.?tone cliiT. From the bridge 

 you see before you bold overhanging cliffs of red sandstone 

 crowned with trees, underneath which the dark sullen river is 

 chafing. At the eaet side of the bridge is the entrance into 

 the church and parsonage of Canonbie. and I suppose a spot 

 more fertile and fair can rarely be found, justifying the cynical 

 observation that wherever you find a comfortable house sur- 

 rounded by " pastures green " you may conclude it is a par- 

 sonage. Passing the " Cross Keys" inn that in the season ia 

 monopolised by salmon fishers, you see lying to the east of 

 you Canonbie Lee, on whioh in days of yore there was racing 

 and chasing by the mounted Grahams, Fosters, Fenwicks, and 



MuBgraves of the Netherby clan after the lost bride of Netherby 

 and her orave young Lochinvar. Beyond is the Liddle ad- 

 vancing to join the Esk. Here the streams advance and 

 recede and advance again towards each other, till after many 

 whimples and windings they blend into one and roll on peace- 

 fully towards the ocean. 



Beyond the Liddle lies the fair domain of Netherby, and 

 threading down the foot of a steep wooded bank is the Border 

 Union Bailway. On the top of a steep lynn is an old fort 

 or oamp, said to be Roman. It is easily approached from 

 Biddings Junction, and is well worth a visit. The prominent 

 object that catches the eye is a high earthwork in the form 

 of the fruBtrum of a cone. From the base of it sweeps in an 

 irregular circle a wide deep moat and earthwork, enclosing an 

 area of three-quarters of an acre. On the south side opposite 

 the tower, and striking out from its base, sweep an outer 

 trench and earthwork in the form of a crescent. Beyond 

 these there appear to have been less trenches, and also what 

 appears to have been a canal for filling the moats. If this 

 was the case, then part of it must have fallen over the lynn, 

 as the moat that runs out into it has a modern look, leading 

 to the inference that if it was made by the Romans they 

 were not its last occupants. It stands at a point command- 

 ing the entrance into both valleys. The view from it is ex- 

 tremely lovely, having the dark heathery hills of Eskdale iu 



