84 RIVERS. 



elegant gate-house, through which Wolsey passed in his hour of 

 humiliation. A venerable chestnut, fish-ponds, extensive marks 

 of old foundations, assist in carrying back the mind to one of the 

 most remarkable periods of English history. At Riccall, a few 

 miles below, the Norwegian fleet of Hardrada was moored, while 

 the troops marched to victory at Fulford, followed by revelling, 

 and death at Stamford Brig. On Skipwith Common are many 

 tumuli, old banks, and the slightly-marked foundations of. ancient 

 (turf or log?) houses or wigwams. These, by some error of 

 tradition, are called 'Danes' Hills/ but, on opening the tu- 

 muli, no confirmation of so modern a date appeared. The tumuli 

 are set in square fossae ; the sides of the fossae range north and 

 south and east and west (true). Similar facts appear in con- 

 nexion with the tumuli on Thorganby Common adjacent. Burnt 

 ashes and bones occur in the mounds; facts which suffice to 

 overthrow the supposition of these hills being funeral heaps of 

 the Danes of the llth century, for they then buried their dead. 

 No instruments of metal, bone, or stone, or pottery were found. 

 Skipwith Church is well worth an examination, as containing 

 very late Saxon or very early Norman work in the tower. 



A few miles further to south-east the Ouse arrives at Selby, 

 and sweeps with a broad current near to the eastern termination 

 of the grand old church of the Benedictine monastery, founded 

 by the Conqueror (1069). Though its great tower has fallen, 

 and some unfortunate restorations have been perpetrated, the 

 Norman features of this noble fabric may be contemplated with 

 high gratification. 



Between Hemingbrough, with its fine church and lofty spire, 

 and Drax Abbey (a priory of Augustine friars), the Ouse receives 

 its largest tributary from the east, the Derwent. 



THE DERWENT. 



The DERWENT, a common British name of northern rivers, 

 in Cumberland, Durham, and Derbyshire, and not quite un- 



