216 eSWALDKIRK. 



from which the eye is pleasingly relieved, by the 

 appearance of a magnificently spreading elm, grow- 

 ing alone out of the side of the precipitous bank ; 

 and whose pendent branches hang gracefully droop- 

 ing towards the road. This beautiful tree forms one 

 of the distinguishing ornaments of the village, and 

 has, with equal judgment and good taste, been sup- 

 ported by an embankment of stone, which will 

 prevent the shooting of the soil, and consequent 

 exposure of its roots ; thus promising a long 

 continuance to its mature honours. From this part 

 of the hill, the village street is seen, in which are 

 several neat houses, the church with its pictur- 

 esque turret, the ivy-clad wall, the last remnant 

 of its ruined monastery, and the old hall at the 

 extremity of the village, forming together a beau- 

 tiful coup d'cail, and a lovely landscape for the 

 artist's pencil* 



The village festival, or Oswaldkirk feast, occurs 

 on the first Sunday after the 6th day of July. 



The Church is a very small but extremely neat 

 edifice, with two very ancient pillars at the entrance 

 door on the south, and within the church, an arch 

 of saxon architecture. In the chancel, and on either 

 side of the altar, are too handsome marble monu- 

 ments ; that on the left recording the untimely death 

 of Mary, the daughter of Edward Thompson, Esq. ; 

 by Mary, the daughter of William Moor, Esq,, 

 a lovely and only child, cut off at the early age of 

 8 years, and whose loss is feelingly deplored in the 

 verses placed on her monument ; but which, though 

 sufficiently expressive of a parent's feelings, are 



