president's address. 493 



of a day's excursion from Newcastle. Through the kmdness and 

 courtesy of Mr. Bewick, of Haydon Bridge, unusual facilities 

 were afforded to our party in reaching our destination. 



Mr. Bewick, Mr. Blacklock, and Mr. Dinning, of Langley 

 Mills, gave us the invaluable help of their presence and services 

 throughout the day. Leaving the Staward Station we proceeded 

 over the fields to the ancient Peel Tower, and spent a very happy 

 and pleasant hour or so on that most charming spot. While 

 some of our members endeavoured to discuss the points in- 

 volved in the bj^gone history of the tower, others searched out 

 the geological character of the country and traced, as far as 

 they could, the great Stublick Dyke which can here be seen, and 

 which intersects the Coal Field for many a mile. Very little of 

 the history of this remarkable Peel Tower seems to be known. 



Wallis, in his " Historj' of Northumberland," states that Ed- 

 ward Duke of York, in 1386, granted Staward Peel to the Ere- 

 nite Friars of Hexham, on condition of their paying an annual 

 rent of five merks for the same. 



The lovers of flowers were ably assisted in their search for 

 their old favourites, and were introduced to new ones by Mr. 

 Watson and other botanists; while others, of more artistic turn, 

 were content to sit and gaze on Nature's beauties while they 

 rested and refreshed the inner man. Leaving the old Peel 

 Tower we descended to a mineral spring which bubbles out 

 near the base of the hill, and pours its stream into the Allen. 

 Here we separated into two parties. The one, headed by 

 Messrs. Bewick and Blacklock, keeping to the higher gi'ound, 

 and pursuing an overgi'own path, or rather, track, through the 

 lovely woods, reached at length the line of railway, and, having 

 had enough of scrambling, wended their way along it to Allen- 

 dale Town, A few of the more adventurous spirits, attracted 

 by the beautiful scenery, determined to attempt a passage along 

 the bed of the river itself. Their task proved a much more dif- 

 ficult one than they had anticipated, but their labour was most 

 amply repaid. 



Both parties met again around the table of the ''Golden Lion," 

 Allendale, and did ample justice to the goodly supplies whicli 



g2 



