A visit to Neasham. 21 



joined the company in their stare at me. That fine steeple- 

 chase rider, the late Bob Adams, used to describe this as 

 *' running the rule round people," — i.e., measuring them up 

 and down. I asked the way to the Abbey, and was told it 

 was only five minutes walk. Then we discussed the Leger (I 

 had just come from Doncaster), and I told them that on 

 the Monday of that week I had seen Mr. Thomas Parrington. 

 Two of the old men remembered him, and a somewhat younger 

 man claimed that he did, which the other two disputed. 

 "Thoo'd be a varry young 'un, that's all Ah can say," said one 

 grey-beard, in a tone of voice pregnant with unbelief. I left 

 them arguing the point, and passed down the village, 

 accompanied by a farmer who was walking into Darlington, and 

 who told me that " Neasham is supposed to beyan o' t' prettiest 

 villages i' Ingerland." I did not agree with him, though the 

 river Tees running through it certainly does give it a beauty 

 and character, whilst its association with the Cooksons, the 

 Neasham stud, and the Wilkinsons makes it of deep interest 

 to Northern sportsmen. Before we reached the short drive up 

 to Neasham Abbey we passed the " Fox and Hounds" hostel, 

 which stands high on the river side of the road, and has a 

 distinctly amateurish sign of a hunt in progress, and some 

 horsemen jumping a stell, which may possibly be meant to 

 represent the Tees. My companion told me that it is no 

 uncommon thing, when the river is flooded, for the beer barrels 

 to be washed out of the " Fox and Hounds " kitchen into 

 the sitting room. I remarked that the customers would no 

 doubt follow them, but the joke was so weak that he imagined 

 I had not grasped the import of what he had said, and repeated 

 his assertion. We were soon at " t' Abba " (as he called the 

 Abbey), and here one felt on hallowed ground, both ecclesiast- 



