12 president's address. 



J. C. Penny, E. C. Robson, John Thompson, G. Wailes, and 

 John Walsh. 



The singularly romantic denes or glens, and the coast scenery 

 of the county of Durham, have been frequent as well as favourite 

 places of resort for the Members of this Society. 



Castle Eden Dene was visited in ... ... June, 1847. 



Hazleden Dene ... ... ... ... June, 1848. 



Hawthorn Dene ... ... ... ... June, 1849. 



Eyhope Sept., 1849. 



Hartlepool ... ... ... ... ... Sept., 1850. 



Roker and Whitburn Sept., 1851. 



Castle Eden Dene July, 1852. 



None who have had opportunities of observing the rich and 

 varied attractions which these several localities present, can be 

 surprised at such partiality. Several notices of these excursions 

 have been already inserted in your " Transactions," and they, 

 as well as the more elaborate descriptions of local historians, all 

 agree in extolling the romantic scenery, and rare and curious 

 plants ; they also agree in deprecating the rapacity of collectors, 

 as regards some of the rarer species which are found in the deep 

 recesses, or rocky banks of the denes. 



It is interesting to turn to the pages of Surtees, the accom- 

 plished historian of Durham, and trace the musings of a mind so 

 richly stored, alike with antiquarian research and an ardent love 

 of natural scenery, reflecting on the state in which successive 

 grants of land and other historical documents represent this 

 district (still wild and romantic) six centuries ago. He thus 

 pictures forth the aspects of its former condition : " The Castle 

 (of which the certain site cannot now be traced, but which, 

 doubtless, stood near to the rill, the chapel, and the lake) tower- 

 ing above dark ancient woods ; the chapel, almost hid on the 

 edge of its little dene, and a few huts huddled together for pro- 

 tection round the mansion of their feudal lord ; the dene and 

 the moor, useless except for the purposes of firing, or of sup- 

 plying thatch and timber for the miserable cottages of the 

 peasantry ; and the extent of moss and moor, wood, lake, and 



