president's address. 171 



Rain fell heavily on the evening before our day of meeting, 

 and its morning opened with leaden skies. This no doubt 

 kept at home all but the most enthusiastic members. 



The train left the Central Station at 7.40 a.m., and reached 

 Stanhope at 10.33 a.m., the weather gradually improving all 

 the way. 



Ten members assembled at Stanhope Station and proceeded 

 to the Phoenix Inn, by way of the well known " Lime Tree 

 Walk." These twenty-six lofty trees when in flower diffuse a 

 delightful fragrance along the street. At this time myriads of 

 bees gather honey from the flowers. Honey from the Lime is 

 superior to all others. 



Allowing a breakfast interval to members of the party who 

 had travelled from longer distances than Newcastle, we pro- 

 ceeded to inspect the market cross and the Church. The 

 cross was erected in the year of the Market being granted, 

 viz., 1669, and was restored in 1S71. 



Screeching Swifts circled in the air, and a pair of Starlings 

 evidently had their young behind the church clock. Close to 

 the churchyard a Corncrake gave voice to his presence. 



The Church of St. Thomas has undergone considerable 

 alteration, and has had many additions made to it. The 

 lower part of the tower is of late twelfth century date. Con- 

 temporary with the tower were an aisleless nave and chancel. 

 Very early in the thirteenth century a south aisle was added. 

 The north aisle, which is of shghtly later date, was probably 

 built before the first quarter of that century was completed. 

 At the same time the tower arch was inserted. The chancel 

 was no doubt rebuilt when the south aisle was added. There 

 is nothing distinctively characteristic in the architecture of the 

 church which enables its date to be determined, but it may 

 with great probability be ascribed to the fourteenth century. 

 The porch is of quite uncertain date. The stained glass in 

 the Church consists of a number of pieces of various dates, 

 some early and some very late. The earliest, and also the 

 largest fragment, represents a Bishop holding his crosier, and 

 is ascribed to about the middle of the fourteenth century. 



