ANTIQUITIES OF NORTHUMBERLAND. 141 



In 10 Q^ Elizabeth, this manour was in the pofieflion of Sir 

 Ralph 'Laitfon, of Biker (p) ; who was fucceeded by his nephew 

 and heir, Henry La-wfon, Efq; anceflor of the prefent Sir Harry 

 Laivfon, of Brough, near Richmond, in Tori/hire, Bart. 



It' was afterwards in the pofFefiion of a branch of tlie Fenivich, 

 of Fenivick-rtowcv ; alfo of John and Oley Douglas, Efq; and now of 

 Sir Edivard Blacket, Bait, high fheriffof Northumberland, 1757. Sir 

 JSdwartfs feat is a neat Hone-building, on a rifrng ground ; a 

 grafs-flope before it by the rivulet of Pont, croffed by a {"trail 

 bridge ; a vifla extending from it for two miles to the military 

 road ; tall foreft-trecs on each fide of the flope for flicker and or- 

 nament ; a walk of a considerable length to the eafl, with borders 

 of flowers and flowering fhrubs. 



In a field, on the eafl fide of the villa, about three quarters of 

 mile from the houfe, is a circular mount, with a round cavity 

 in the middle, of the form of the Celtic tumuli, or temples ; an 

 upright flone pillar Handing by it, of a great fizc, nine feet high 

 above ground, with flat fides, three feet broad, and a foot and a 

 half thick. This flone now bears the name of the S/c-flone, 

 and gives its name to a farm-houfe hard by. The mount is com- 

 pofed of earth and numerous mafTes of flone of the coarfe rag- 

 kind, many of which have been digged up for the ufe of this 

 farm, and among them were difcovered two flone-chefls or cof- 

 fins, confifling of four flags fet edge-ways, with a bottom-done, 

 and a flone-cover, containing the allies of the dead, appearing 

 like a white dufl. 



Temples and funeral memorials like this, with cepititious or 

 {lone-altars, and an upright pillar, untouched by the chiflel, are 



(p) See Eyker. 



the 



