ANTIQUITIES OF NORTHUMBERLAND. 395 



out writs, and try caufes ; which is the rather to be noticed, as 

 fome have thought, that Lancajter was not made a county pala- 

 tine till the reign of K. Henry IV. 



The caftle was a ftrong and noble building. Its glory fell with 

 the royal rofe of Lancafter, K. Henry VI, after the fatal battle of 

 ffexhrtm-field ; when Sir Peter de Bnjfy, and five hundred Frenchmen 

 taking flicker in it, it was bcfiegcd by Ralph Lord O^k, Ed:nund 

 a*nd Richard de Crofter, "John Manners, and Gilbert de Erring ton, zea- 

 lous friends of the houfe of York, who took the whole garifon 

 prifoners, except Sir Peter, and demoliflied it ; having held out 

 by its ftrength a long time; the beiiegcrs being encouraged 

 by the hopes of rewards, which they had plentifully out of the 

 forfeited eftates from the fortunate and victorious Edward , who 

 never failed liberally to remunerate thofe who faithfully fcrved 

 him. It was in the crown, 10 (^Elizabeth (u) ; and was granted, 

 6th February, 22 K. James I, to Sir William Cr.j, Baron of JVark, 

 and confirmed by K. William III, 20 December, 1694; and is now 

 in the pofTefiion of the right Hon. the Earl of Tcwk 



It flands on an eminence of feveral acres, Hoping gently to the 

 fea, and edged to the north and north-weft with precipice^, in 

 the form of a crefcent, by the weftern termination of which are 

 three natural (lone-pyramids of a confiderable heigh: ml by 

 the eailern one an opening in the rocks made by the fea, 

 a frightful precipice, called Rumble-churn, from the breaking of 

 the waves in tempeftuous weather and high feas. Above this is 

 the main entrance, and by it the ruin of the chapel. At the? 



(u) Domina Regina EKzabetha feifita de et in caftro, manerio, et villa de Dunflonbreu^h, 

 DttnJIon, Stamford, et Emcltw, ut dc pofiefiionibus nuprr Jcbannis Domini de Lan.a/ltr. 



Efcaet. de anno l 



E e e 2 fouth- 



