58 ANTIQUITIES OF NORTHUMBERLAND. 



like that alfo had the misfortune to fuffer greatly by fire. It ftands 

 on the top of a gentle declivity, under a hanging bank of wood ; 

 the town of Bellingham in fight ; an avenue extending from it 

 through fhady enclofures to the river Tyne ; a varied profpe<5t to 

 the north ; woods, rocks, and moors ; the latter pleafant in rum- 

 mer by a moving fcenery, the meep and cattle grazing, on them. . 



About four miles north-eaft from Hezleyfide, on the eafterm 

 banks of the river Reed, is 



Rifingham, i. e. the hamlet on a rifing ground ; of note for being 

 the Roman ftation Habitancum, by their famous road, called Wat- 

 lingjlreet (1J ; on which, a mile to the fouthward of it, was ftand- 

 ing fome years ago one of their milliary flones, like that by their 

 ftation at Little Chejlcrs. Brafs coins and medals of Roman mintage, 

 of the Antonines, are frequently turned out of the ground by that 

 induftrious pioneer, the mole , one of the latter found y 1701 ; the 

 emperor's name on the obverfe worn out, Aug. Pius very legible ; 

 on the reverfe, a ivolf, without any infcription. Mention is made 

 of it by Dr. Hunter, in the Philofophical Tranfactions, to whom it. 

 was prefented (m). 



This ftation is not mentioned by Antonlne in his Itinerary, yet it 

 muft have been a Roman garrifon in the time of Aurelius Antoninus t 

 as appears from infcriptions on altars found at it, mentioning 

 his name^wj. Some take this Aurelius to be the philofopher An- 



(I) Camden. 

 Horjley. 



(m) Ph. Tr. No. 278. 



(a) Horf. No. Ixxxvii. No. xciv. 9. 



tOWttf, 



.11 ,_ o . 



