president's address. 11 



Our first proceeding was to count our numbers, which we only- 

 found to amount to half a dozen. The previous unsettled weather 

 probably deterred many, and an excursion of another Society on 

 the same day may have taken away others who might have 

 been with us. Our next move was to proceed to "WIddrington 

 village, whence a telegram was despatched to the landlord of 

 the Ship Inn at Newbiggin, announcing the probable number of 

 his guests. On the way we noticed the site of Widdrington 

 Castle, now barely more than the mere site, as there is little 

 trace of the old building left. Our party then divided, half 

 going to view the Old Templar's House at Chibburn, the other 

 half keeping the road towards Cresswell. "We were much in- 

 terested in this old building, but unfortunately we were entirely 

 ignorant of its history ; and therefore I have endeavoured to lay 

 before you some information concerning it, which I have gathered 

 from an interesting paper by Mr. "Win. Woodman, F.S.A., Town 

 Clerk of Morpeth ; from a paper by Mr. P. R. "Wilson, of Aln- 

 wick; and Mr. J. H. Parker's "Domestic Architecture of Eng- 

 land," Vol. II., 14 cent., p. 197. The buildings stand almost 

 in the centre of the crescent formed by Druridge Bay. And they 

 are curious, as affording an example probably of the oldest house 

 in Northumberland, as distinguished from a pele-tower or a castle ; 

 and they have not been injured by modern alterations or attempts 

 at restoration. The building has been defended by a moat, en- 

 closing an area of about 100 yards in diameter. The walls are 

 of stone, and have been originally covered with freestone slates. 

 They formed a parallelogram, with a courtyard in the middle ; 

 on the west side the principal dwelling house, which is still 

 almost perfect. This is a long low building of two stories, with 

 external chimneys at the south end, and others in the centre. 

 Mr. Parker, speaking of the windows, mentions that they were 

 built with corbels, probably to attack assailants who were beneath. 

 Internally we find the partition of oak plank, placed in a groove 

 at top and bottom, with a narrow red ornament on the face, 

 three inches in thickness, placed at a distance of twelve inches 

 apart, the interstices filled with loam. The chimneys are of 

 great size, having one very large stone over the opening for the 



