ANTIQUITIES OF NORTHUMBERLAND. 237 



this wall, 3 acres, and one rod. In the caftle was a -well of a 

 confiderable depth; and a chapel of a handfome Gothic architec- 

 ture. The great Barons, Heron, Delaval, Clavering, Bolbeck, Ber- 

 tram of Bothal, Ros, Gaugy, Clifford, and Dilfton, had each a houfe 

 within its liberties for its defence. The government of it was 

 generally committed to the high iheriff of Northumberland. At 

 the acceffion of K. James I, one third of it was almoft taken away; 

 the lead and covering embezzled and carried off; the fquare, 

 old tower miferably decayed and fractured ; the malefactors con- 

 fined in it in danger of periming by the weather ; the expcnce of 

 repairing it computed at 809 /. 15 s. The poor remains of it are 

 decently kept, and ferve for the county-jail, and for holding the 

 annual aflizes. 



The Bridge over the Tyne is of great antiquity. From the i>ef- 

 tigies of a military way leading to it from Chefter-le-Jlreet, it is be- 

 lieved to have been originally Roman. It had the misfortune to 

 be deftroyed by fire, 33 K. Henry III ; being then of wood. It was 

 rebuilt of Hone by contribution ; for which indulgences were 

 granted by Scivald, Archbifliop of York, Walter Bifhop of Durham^ 

 Walter Bifhop of Rochefter, &c. fome giving lands, as Adam de Jef- 

 mont; the witnefTes to the grant, Gilbert Delaval, Adam de PleJJy, 

 Gilbert de Ogle, William de Byker, &c. It had twelve bold arches. 

 It has now only nine ; the reft, on building the key, were turned 

 into cellars or ftore-rooms. Several tradefmen have their houfes 

 and mops on each fide of it. About the middle of it is an old 

 tower, ufed by the magiftrates for the confinement of diforderly 

 perfons and offenders, beyond which is a blue ftone, the boun- 

 dary between Neivcajlle and GateJJyead; and at the other end is 

 another tower, where has been a draw-bridge. That part of it, 

 to the fouth of the blue ftone, was recovered from the corpora- 

 tion, 4 K. Henry V, 1416, by Thomas Langley, bifhop of Durham, as 



attefted 



