8 PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS. 
him for a table, became his pillow during the short intervals he 
allotted to sleep, and whole nights were passed by him, during the 
frosts of winter, immersed up to his neck in the half frozen 
river. He died in 1170, having removed to the site of the 
present ruin, sometime previously, on account of its more favour- 
able position. Bishop Flambard had, before his death, granted 
the place to the monks of Durham, and two of the body had 
occupied the cell after Godric’s death. On the failure of Henry 
Pudsey, son of Bishop Pudsey, to establish a monastery, in con- 
nection with the Augustinian church of Gisborough, at Baxtanford, 
on the Browney, about a mile from Durham, he transferred, in 
1196, the land, which he had granted to those ecclesiastics, to 
Finchale, and hence arose the establishment at that place. 
Finchale,* deriving its name from the corner or elbow of the 
river on which it is situated, possesses that beauty of position 
which characterizes most monastic places. To secure warmth, 
shelter is required, and hence steep rocky banks, clothed with wood, 
so frequently hem in the buildings; a river is almost demanded 
by the requirements of a monastic body, for fish formed a staple 
article of their food,t and hence to the charm of rock and foliage is 
added the soft murmuring of streams, and the placid reflection 
of sky, clouds and sunshine in the still waters. 
Of the original building, of Norman times, nothing was ulti- 
mately retained but the tomb of St. Godric, which was situated 
under the large window at the east end of the south transept, 
built in 1266. The ruins, as they now exist, are the remains of the 
building commenced in 1242 and finished about 1268, and form 'a 
valuable specimen of the architecture of that day, though of a very 
* Most of our old towns possess a Fenkle or corner street. 
+ The river Wear then abounded in salmon, for no impassable lock existed at Lumley, 
and the streams were not polluted with lead and coal washing, or by the foul overflowing of 
collieries. Now that the question of re-stocking our rivers with that most valuable and 
delicious fish, the salmon, occupies so much attention, a few notes as to the quantity of fish 
that was formerly taken in the Finchale fishery may not be without use. In 1348 the 
monks sold fish to the amount of £9 12s. 8d, and this we must remember was over and 
above the consumption within the house; in 1355 they received from the sale of salmon 
£11 2s. 1d., and to show the value of money in the same year, for three cows and a bull 
they received 32s.; in 1358 for salmon £12 5s. 6d., and for a cow and a calf 10s.; in 1438 
£16 for salmon; and in 1441 £14 6s. 3d. for salmon, whilst for 35 quarters 3 bushels of 
barley, and 42 quarters 4 bushels of oats they gave £6 11s. 6d, 
