Field Meetings. 221 



30th Jiilf/, 1910. 



STAPLETON TOWER. 

 {From the Dumfries and Galloivay Standard, August 3, 1910.) 



A field meeting of the Dumfries and Galloway Antiquarian 

 Society took place on Saturday afternoon, when, by the kindness 

 of Major Critchley, a visit was paid to Stapleton Tower, near 

 Annan. The weather, unfortunately, was somewhat unfavour- 

 able, heavy showers of rain falling at intervals throughout the 

 whole day, and probably this, and the fact that the present is the 

 holiday season, accounted for the smallness of the attendance. 

 Those who attended, howe\er, enjoyed a thoroughly pleasant and 

 interesting afternoon. A number of members from the Dumfries 

 district travelled by the train which left at 2.15 for Annan, where 

 they were joined by others from that district. The party then 

 drove to Stapleton by way of Dornock, calling at Dornock 

 Churchyard, where an inspection was made of three " grev recum- 

 bent stones," which are of a casket-like shape, and the origin 

 of which appears to be wrapt in mystery, though all the sides of 

 the stones are rich with embossed carvings, doubtless of a sym- 

 bolic character. 



On arriving at Stapleton the company was received l)v Major 

 and Mrs Critchley, who during the course of the afternoon did 

 everything they could to promote the comfort and pleasure of 

 their visitors. A visit was paid, under the guidance of the host 

 and hostess, to the beautiful and extensive gardens which sur- 

 round the house, and there some fine alleys, and fragrant bowers 

 of honeysuckle, and a number of splendid and wall -like beech 

 hedges, were particularly admired. Most of the party afterwards 

 inspected the old Tower of Stapleton, a massive, square struc- 

 ture which dates from the days of the old Border warfare. Led 

 by Major Critchley, they ascended to the top of the tower, where 

 a magnificent view was obtained of lands which swept to the far- 

 off waters of the Solway, on the further side of which were to be 

 seen the .spires and chimneys of Carlisle, and, to the east, the 

 giant forms of Skiddaw and Saddleback, and the mountains which 

 rise above Ullswater. The old Tower of Stapleton, according 

 to well-founded history, was one of a number of Border keeps and 



