ANTIQUITIES OF NORTHUMBERLAND. 



On the weft fide of the church, is the vicarage-houfe ; the 

 river Coquet on the north fide of it, crofTed by a {lone-bridge of 

 three arches ; an upright {lone pillar on the middle, with the 

 Percy-arms fculptured ; a fquare tower at the fouth end ; the gate 

 formerly of iron, with port-cullices. Twenty marks were left 

 towards rebuilding this bridge by Mr. John Cook, of N^vcrjlle 

 Upon Tyne, 2 K. Richard II, 1379. The river enters the ocean 

 about a mile below it, and is capable of being made navigable 

 up to it for fmall vefiels; the villa formerly much referred to by 

 merchants (c) ; the fituation inviting commerce. It has three 

 annual fairs, viz. on Thurfday before St. George's, St. Ltv > v/va-'s, and 

 St. Martins day ; a weekly market on Thnrfday. 



A quarter of a mile weft from Warkworth in the antient park, 

 on the norchcrn banks of the river Coquet, is 



The Hermitage, a cell of two BenedicJine monks from Durham, 

 for whofe maintenance Nicholas de Famham, Bifliop of that See in 

 the reign of K. Henry III, appropriated the church of Brankfton, 

 confirmed by his fucceflbr, V/ alter de Kirkham (d). It confifts of a 

 fmall chapel, and a bed-chamber, cut out of a folid rock of 

 white rag-ftone, in the Saxon-gothic Pale; the chapel curioufly 

 adorned with fide-pi lafters, and the roof of knot-work. In the 

 fole of a window, at the fouth end of the altar, is the effigies of 

 the Bleffed Virgin, fculptured in {lone, recumbent; another of 

 the child Jefus on her right hand, {landing, his left hand red- 

 ing upon her Ihoulder ; at her feet, in a nich in the wall, is the 



(c) Lei, Itin, 



(d) Angl. Sacr. torn. i. p. 738. 



Bp. Tanner's Notitia Monaftica, fol. p. 396. 



Z z 2 ciligicr, 



