74 president's address. 



The Second Field Meeting was held at Ahimouth, on the 

 IGth June, and was attended by seven members only, who left 

 Newcastle by the 7*20 a.m. train for Christon Bank station, 

 whence they proceeded by Embleton to Dunstanborough, and 

 thence by Craster, Howick, and Bonlmer, to Alnmouth, inspect- 

 ing Dunstanborough Castle and Howick Hall, the seat of Earl 

 Grey, by the way. 



I was prevented, by indisposition, from attending this meet- 

 ing; but as the history of Dunstanborough has been little 

 known until very recently, and I had just been reading, in the 

 Newcastle volumes of the "Proceedings of the Archaeological 

 Institute," published a few weeks before this Field Meeting, 

 an able summary of its history, and a graphic and accurate 

 description of its position and architectural character, in the 

 historical notices of the Border Fortresses by the Kev. C. H. 

 Hartshorne, I extracted the following notes on Dunstanborough, 

 and sent them to Mr. Mather, the Secretary, as I hoped in 

 time for the meeting, but he had set out the day before. I 

 therefore insert them here : that the book is not so well known 

 as it deserves to be, will, I hope, be my excuse. The Patent 

 Rolls state that, in the 9th Edward III. (1316), Thomas, Earl 

 of Leicester, received license to crenelate* or embattle his man- 

 sion of Dunstanborough, in the barony of Emcldon (now 

 Embleton), of which he was then lord; but from the expense 

 roll of the works carried on there (which roll is given in the 

 Appendix) it is evident that they were commenced before the 

 official enrolment. " The position of this castle (says Mr. 

 Hartshorne), is very remarkable, and the immediate locality is 

 equally worthy of observation for its geological character. The 



* Carnellus, quarnellus, quadranellus, a square opening or notch, through which the 

 archers shot, a crenelle, Fr. creneau, in distinction to the merlons or raised part {prima) of 

 the embattlement. No doubt, the growing poAver of the great feudal proprietors during the 

 former reign had rendered it necessary to limit the erection of strongholds, as these might 

 be termed, against the crown itself, and hence it became a part of the royal policy to watch 

 their increase with suspicion. The first license to crenelate ai)pearing on the Rolls is in the 

 15th Henry III. ; and, in the succeeding 57 years, only 14 were granted. The recently 

 published volume of the " History of Northumberland," in continuation of Hodgson, by 

 Mr. Hodgson Hinde, contains a li.st of the licenses to crenelate granted by Edward III., 

 which comprises a great number of Border fortresses. 



