﻿lOtI 



NORTHUMBERLAND. 



NORTHUMBERLAND. 



and 20 feet high ; and there is another state-room of rather smaller 

 dimensions. Jiiat within the entrance, on the ground-floor, are eight 

 apartments with vaulted roofs of stone. The masonry of the castle 

 is in excellent preservation, but the roof, windows, and floor are for 

 the most part gone. A bridge of two spacious arches, which crosses 

 the Coquet at the north side of the town, has a tower at the town end, 

 with an archway through which the road passes ; in the middle of the 

 bridge is a stone pillar, with the Percy arms carved on it. In the 

 perpendicular rocks which form the north bank of the Coquet, about 

 a mile above the bridge, is an ancient hermitage, with a small neat 

 chapel and two other apartments hewn out of the rock ; the chapel 

 contuns an altar, and a monumental slab with a recumbent female 

 figure. This retreat is celebrated in Dr. Percy's poem of the ' Hermit 

 of Warkworth." 



Of villages the following may be mentioned ; the populations given 

 are those of 1851 :— 



Amble, 2 miles S.S.E. from Warkworth, situated on an eminence on 

 the right bank and near the mouth of the Coquet, population of the 

 township 1040, ia a neat well-built village, which has considerably 

 increased of late years. The streets and shops are lighted with gas, 

 and valuable coal-mines are worked in the neighbourhood. A branch 

 lino from the Newcastle and Berwick railway passes through the 

 villase to the harbour at the mouth of the Coquet. The Independents 

 and Roman Catholics have chapels in Amble. Senwdl, 2 miles W. 

 from Newcastle, population of the township 1272, is situated in an 

 exceedingly fertile district, which abounds also with excellent seams 

 of coal. At a short distance south of the village is Benwell House, 

 (urrounde<l by extensive plantations. Blanchland, situated on the 

 Derwent, is fiunous for its lead-mines. Of its Premonstmtensian 

 Abbey, founded in 1175, some portions still rem.iin. One of the 

 abbey towen was converted into a chapel in 1752. There is an 

 Endowed Free school here. The Abbot of Blanchland was elevated 

 to the House of Peers by E<lward I. Corbridge, a large village, 

 population of the township 1363, is situated i miles E. from Hexham, 

 on the left bank of the Tyne, over which there is a bridge of seven 

 arches. There is a spacious marketplace, which contains a cross and 

 a fountain, erected in 1814 by the Duke of Newcastle. The pariah 

 church is a very ancient structure ; and at the north-east comer of 

 the market-place is an ancient tower, which formed part of the old 

 town-jaiL Corbridge was formerly a market-town, and had four parish 

 churches, three of which have disappeared. There are traces of 

 extensive buildings between this placu and tho neiglibouring Roman 

 station of Corstopitum. Two altars with Qreck inscriptions have been 

 dug up in the churchyard ; one of them was dedicated to the Tyri.in 

 Hercules. The Independents and Wesleyan Methodists have chapels 

 in Corbridge. Earthenware and fire-bricks are largely manufactured. 

 Coal, lead, and limestone are raised in the parish. Catepen, a village 

 and township, about one mile W. from BIyth, is situated amiilst 

 extenaire coal mines : population of the townnhip 4045. The Roman 

 Catholics and Primitive Metliodi.st3 liave chapnls. Several collieries 

 have been recently opened. Chirton, a populous straggling village, 

 one mile \V. from North Shields, has a popiiktion of 8UC0, who 

 mainly ilerive their support from the collieries. CulUrcoatt, popu- 

 lation C95, about 2 miles N. from Tyneuiouth, is built close to the 

 cltfls that here overiiang the Nortli Sea ; it has a mineral spring, and 

 is frequented in the season by sea-bathers. Earsdon, population of 

 the township 551, is 4 miles K. from North Shields, situated on an 

 eminence in a fertile country, abounding also with coal and stone. 

 The parish church of St. Albau, a venerable structure, occupies the 

 highest ground in the village, and commands extensive views of the 

 coast and of the interior, iudon, 8 miles N.K. from BelUns;ham, on 

 a amall feeder of the Reed, population of the township 313, is sup- 

 poMd to have been a Roman town. Elsdon Castle, erected by David, 

 king of Scotland, is a stront; tower, the lower story of which is 

 spanned by a single arch. The parish church is a large cruciform 

 structure. Coal, limestone, and ironstone abound in the neighbour- 

 hood of Elsdon. J'ord, near the Scottish border, on the right bank 

 of the Till, about miles X.N.W. from Wooler : population of tho 

 parish 2322. The village consists of one irreguLir street, on an 

 eminence rising from the river, over which is a bridge. Ford Castle, 

 on the north side of the village, originally built in the reign of 

 Henry III., by Sir William Heron, was in great part rubuilt by the 

 late' Lord DelavaL Of the original structure only two towers on each 

 flank of the present edifice remain. The castle was taken by James IV., 

 in 1513, just before the battle of Floddcn. Besides the parish church, 

 there are two Dissenting places of worBhip. Uaydon Bt-idge, formerly 

 a market-town, is situated 6 miles W. from Hexham, on both banks 

 of the Sooth Tyne : population of the chapelry 2035. It contiins 

 Episoopal, Independent, and Wesleyan Methodist chapels. There are 

 hare a well Endowed Free school, and 20 almshouses. Haydon Bridge 

 is the mid-station on the Newcastle and Carlisle railway, being about 

 29 miles distimt from each of these towns. J/owden Pan$, 5 miles 

 E. by N. from Newcastle, is situated in the parish of Wallsend, on 

 the left bank of the Tyne : population of the township 1276. Walls- 

 end cools are shipped from the staiths along tho river here. There 

 an Urgp docks for ship-building, a rope-walk, a tar and varnish 

 hetoiy, and an extensive brewery. Wesleyan and New Connexion 

 Methodists have chapels in Uowden. The village got its distinctive 



osoo, fiiv. VOL. III. 



name from tho numei-ous salt-pans that fonnerly existed here. 

 Jesmond, a township, with a population of 20S9, situated in a valo 

 about a mile and a half N.E. from Newcastle, is noteworthy for its 

 extensive iron-works. Here was formerly an hospital dedicated to tho 

 Virgin Mary, the chapel of which was much resorted to«by pilgrims. 

 Long Benton, population of the township 2233. The village is 3 miles 

 N.E. from Newcastle, and occupies a pleasant and healthy situation. 

 The parish church is about a quarter of a mile from the village. Part 

 of the parish skirts tho left bank of the Tyne, which is lined with 

 factories of different kinds, and with coalwhai-fs. Lowich, a pretty 

 village 8 miles N. from Wooler, population of the parish 1911, 

 contains a parish church and a Presbyterian chapel. Barmoor Castlo 

 and grounds are close to the village. Coal and limestone are obtained 

 in the neighbourhood. Nemhiggin, a amall bathing village about 

 4 miles N. from BIyth, population of the chapelry 717, contains sorao 

 good houses. The chapel, an ancient structure, with a low spire, 

 occupies a site near the shore. Some of the inhabitants are engaged 

 in fishing. North Sunderland, a village 3 miles S.S.E. from Barn- 

 borough, population of the township 1208, has a small hai-bour, from 

 which com, fish, and lime are exported ; many herrings are cured at 

 this place. The church, a neat structure, was opened in 1833. The 

 English and United Presbyterians have chapels. Walka; is situated 

 on the left bank of the Tyne, 3 miles E. from Newcastle : population 

 of the chapelry 3201. At the village is a station of the Newcastle 

 and Tynemouth railway, and along the banks of tho Tyne ara iron- 

 works, coolstaiths, iron shipbuilding-works, alkali- and copperas-works, 

 &c. WaUeend, a flourishing village 34 miles E. from Newcastle, on 

 the road to North Shields, derives its name from its position at tho 

 extremity of the wall of Severus : population of the township 2161. 

 The district is celebrated for its coal-mines ; there are also large ship- 

 building yards, extensive lime-works, copper-foundries, and potteries. 

 The parish church is a neat building. The Wesleyan Methodists and 

 United Presbyterians have chapels. Warl; an agricultural villago 

 9 miles N.W. from Hexham, is situated on the road to Bellingluam, 

 and near the right bank of the North Tyno : population of tho town- 

 ship 433. Besides tho parish church, there are chapels for Presby- 

 terians and Methodists. Wi/lam, U situated on the Tyne, 9 miles W. 

 from Newcastle : population of the township 1091. The principal 

 industrial establishments are an extensive' colliery and pig-iron works- 

 Near the colliery is Florist Hall, with extensive gardens. The laud 

 in tho vicinity of Wylam is very fertile. 



Uittcry, AntiquUiei, ic. — In the earliest period of the history of 

 the island, tho eastern side of the county and tho adjacent parts of 

 Scotland were inhabited by the Otadeni, and the western side by tho 

 Oadeni, who also occupied Cumberland and a part of Scotland. There 

 are several remains of the primitive inhabitants of tho country, con- 

 sisting chie^ of rude hill-forts, cairns, stono circles, and similar 

 monuments. The Romans do not appear to have attacked this part 

 of the country until tho time of Agricola, who, in the second year 

 of his command (Tacit., ' Agric. Vita,' c. xx.), formed a line ot forts 

 extending from the mouth of the Tyne to the Solway Frith, nearly 

 in a line with the great wall subsequently erected by Severus. 

 Agricola pushed bis conquest northward, and secured the newly- 

 acquired territory by a second line of forts extending from the Forth 

 to tho Clyde. The northern conquests of the Romans were by no 

 means permanent. Agricola was recalled, and the Roman power 

 languished. Tho Caledonians continued hostilities, and several tribes, 

 who had submitted, revolted ; aud tho emperor Hadrian found it 

 expedient to abandon .all the country between the two lines of forts 

 built by Agricola, and to defend tho southern part of the island by a 

 rampart of earth. 



In the reign of Antoninus Pius, the district between the two lines 

 of forts formed by Agricola was reconquered by Lollius Urbious, 

 lieutenant of the emperor, who raised a ramport of turf across tho 

 island in the direction of the northern line. In the. following reigna 

 Northumberland and the rest of the country between tho two walls 

 appear to have regained their independence. Severus engaged in 

 active warfare against the natives (a.d. 207-10) : he lost 50,000 men, 

 but ultimately obliged them to submit. He built a strong wall 

 across the island nearly in the line of Hadrian's rampart. Hostilities 

 were soon renewed by tho natives, and Severus died at York, in tho 

 midst of his preparations to extirpate them. The subsequent history 

 of the county during the Itomon period is obscure. 



The most remarkable monument of the Roman dominion is tho 

 great line of defence formed and augmented by the successive labours 

 of Agricola, Hadrian, ond Severus ; and sometimes called ' tho Picts' 

 Wall,' sometimes the ' Roman Wall.' Some account of these great 

 works has been given under Britannia. The principal Roman 

 stations in the line of the wall along Northumberland were Scgcdunum, 

 Wallsend; Pons .^Elii, Newcastle ; Con^lercum, Benwell Hill ; Vindo- 

 bola, Rudchester; Hunnum, Halton Cheaters; Cilumum, Walwick 

 Chesters, on the right bank of tho North Tyno; Procolitia near 

 Carraw; Boroovicus, near House Steads, 6 miles N.E. from Halt- 

 whistle; Vindolana, Little Chesters; .^ica. Great Chesters; and 

 Magna near the Cumberland border, between the Tippald and tho 

 Irthing. Borcovicua is tho most perfect station on the lino; it Is on 

 high ground, with a precipitous descent toward) the north : it 

 covered au area of 15 acres, aud had a large suburb on tho south. A 



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