PARISH OF CHOLLERTON. 435 



material of the mound, but it had evidently been previously opened. 

 It had probably contained an unburnt body; for had the bones 

 been burnt, some of them would almost certainly have been left. 

 Several pieces of burnt stone were found in the barrow. 



About a quarter of a mile from the barrow just described, and 

 higher up the slope of the hill, was a very peculiar structure, which 

 proved to be sepulchral, though probably belonging to a time later 

 than that when the barrow had been constructed. Upon the 

 surface of the ground was an oblong space surrounded on all sides 

 but the west by stones, ten in number, set nearly close together ; 

 the direction being east-by-south and west-by-north, with a length 

 of 5 ft. 8 in. and a width of 2J ft. ; and having a few stones laid on 

 the surface within the enclosure. The surrounding stones were 

 absent at the west end, and no other stones occurred until, at a 

 distance of 5 ft. from that point, two other stones, together 4J ft. 

 long, were placed in a line north and south. Within the enclosure 

 first described the subsoil was excavated to a depth of If ft. at the 

 east end, and sloping upwards to a depth of only 8 in. at the west end. 

 In this grave an unburnt adult body had been placed, apparently 

 laid at full length, with the head to W., but so much decayed 

 that nothing more regarding it could be determined. To the west 

 of the body the ground was undisturbed for a space of 2Jft., and 

 then occurred an oval hollow, 4 ft. 3 in. long and 2 ft. 4 in. wide, 

 the long diameter being almost due north and south, the west side 

 coming nearly up to the two long stones above referred to. This 

 hollow was sunk 1-^ ft., partly into the rock ; and at the north end 

 was a circular hole excavated ten inches deeper than the rest of the 

 hollow. There was nothing in it more than earth and stones, 

 except some fragments of charcoal scattered here and there, nor was 

 there any appearance as though a body, either burnt or unburnt, 

 had ever been deposited therein. I am inclined to attribute the 

 burial to Anglian times, though, in the absence of anything in the 

 shape of weapon, implement, or ornament, it is impossible to come 

 to any certain conclusion on that point. 



PARISH OF CHOLLERTON. Ord. Map. cvi. N.E. 



The valley of the North Tyne, like many other districts in 

 Northumberland already noticed, has been very extensively occupied 

 in pre-historic times, as is clearly shown by the existence of 



Pf 2, 



i^Ul Ull I 



in pre 



