president's address. 53 



Passing through these border lands, they reached East Lilburn, 

 where they were met by Mr. Langlands, whose residence lies at 

 the foot of Bewick Hill, and who kindly accompanied the party 

 for the purpose of inspecting the Celtic camp and inscribed stones 

 on the summit of the eminence. Similar, but not as is believed 

 so remarkable remains, are found on most of the neighbouring 

 hills. The entrenchments consist of two semicircular enclosures, 

 each with a double foss and vallum, and both surrounded by an 

 outer wall of considerable length. The entrances to them are 

 from the south — that in the centre of the two semicircles having 

 apparently been the principal one. At this point is placed a 

 round stone, which seems to have been the base of a pillar. 

 Within the inner walls are circular buildings, fallen and broken 

 through the lapse of time, which have evidently been the dwell- 

 ings of the Scandinavian or Druidical inhabitants. 



The two stones on which the inscriptions are carved are some- 

 what apart from the entrenchments, and may have been used in 

 Druidical ceremonies. There is also a stone trough for water, 

 which still exhibits marks of the tool with which it has been 

 hollowed out. There are breaks in the walls of the enclosures, 

 as though the stones had been removed for other purposes ; and 

 there are three walls meeting in one point, and each diverging 

 from one of the inmost circular entrenchments, which seem not 

 to have belonged to the original structure. Some of the party 

 hazarded the conjecture, that these date from a comparatively 

 modern period, when the neighbouring hill of Yeavering was a 

 n^anor of the Saxon Kings. 



Bede calls this royal demesne Ad-Gebrim, and says that King 

 Edwin and his Queen Ethelburga resided there for thirty-six 

 days after their conversion to the Christian faith, by the preach- 

 ing of Paulinus, who attended them hither and converted great 

 numbers of the Northumbrians, who were baptized in the neigh- 

 bouring river. There is an extensive prospect from the top of 

 Bewick Hill, and the scene is beautiful as the uplands rise above 

 one another till they terminate in the noble range of the Cheviots. 

 Immediately before the eye rise the hills of Brankston and Flod- 

 den, the two eminences sacred of old to Thor, and still bearing 



