72 



The first meeting of the season was held on Saturday, 

 May 2nd, to Dinsdale, for the purpose of visiting the woods', 

 &c., on the banks of the Tees, and the old Churches at 

 Dinsdale and Sockburn. The weather for some days preceding 

 having been very unsettled and wet, and the outlook on the 

 day not being very promising, no doubt accounted in a great 

 measure for the small number (6) who took part in our first 

 outing. As it happened, those who attended were well repaid 

 for the risk taken, as the afternoon was fine and warm, the 

 walking was good, and the outing generally was a particularly 

 interesting and enjoyable one. The party, on arrival at 

 Dinsdale Station about two o'clock, walked from there through 

 the woods to the Spa and along the Durham banks of the 

 Tees to Dinsdale Church. (It was noticed en route that a great 

 many trees had been or were in process of being felled in 

 these woods, which will tend to destroy the beauty of this 

 part for some time to come.) The Church appears to be 

 mostly of recent date, what old remains having been very 

 much restored ; the old part remaining — i.e., the Nave, Arcade, 

 and a few stones near the base of the Nave walls— being 

 apparently the only remains of the Church erected about 1196^ 

 this church being, according to historians, on the site of a 

 former Saxon Church. 



In the Church were noticed a Norman Font (plain circular), 

 a rather fine Grave Cover of Hog-lacked fashion, and a 

 Memorial Brass with Wivill Coat of Arms on, dated 1668. 

 In the Porch walls were built in some remains of Pre- 

 Conquest Crosses and an old Grave Cover with fine floreated 

 cross carved on and an inscription to one of the Surtees 

 family. In the Churchyard was a Stone Sarcophagus in 

 rather good preservation, and dating probably from about the 

 12th century. After leaving Dinsdale Church the party crossed 

 the Tees, and walked through the fields on the Yorkshire side 

 of the river to Girsby, a small out-of-the way village pleasantly 

 situate on the banks of the Tees. Very fine views of the river 

 and surrounding country were obtained all along the route 

 from Dinsdale to Girsby. The River Tees was again crossed 

 at Girsby, and after walking a short distance Sockburn Hall 

 was reached, a modern building erected on the site of an older 

 building, very pleasantly situate at the southern point of a big 

 bend of the Tees. In the grounds are the remains of Old 

 Sockburn Church, for which permission to visit had kindly 

 been granted by W. H. Williamson, Esq., the present occupier 

 of the Hall. The Church, which is very much in ruins, is 



