Mr. Tate on Dunstanhurgh Castle. 91 



the Lylborne tower had very good walls and a good roof of 

 timber, which must be covered with lead; the walls of the 

 dongeon, and battlements of the inner ward, with a piece of 

 wall above the outer gate, and in divers places the great wall 

 that compasses the whole castle, must be amended, " and 

 pynd with stone and rowthe cast with lyme ; " there must 

 also be an iron gate for the inner ward 3| yards high and 

 3 yards broad ; there was a draw well in the inner ward, 

 which was very deep. The total cost of these reparations 

 would amount to £106 18s. 



Nothing seems to have been done at this time to repair the 

 ruined castle ; for in another report on the state of the Bor- 

 ders, made by Sir Robert Bowes, Knt., in 1550, it is said — 

 " The castle of Dunstanbrough is in wonderfull great decaye 

 and the inner wall thereof might be repayred with no great 

 charge and also the gatehouse and a house for the constable. 

 And then surely it would be refuge to the inhabitants of these 

 partes, yff enemies came to annoye them either arriving by 

 sea or coming by lande out of Scotland, soe that they brought 

 no great ordynance or power to remayne any long time 

 there." * No repai'ations followed from this report ; and the 

 time soon came when such castles were not required for the 

 defence and security of the Borders, and they were either 

 destroyed or allowed to remain as picturesque objects — remi- 

 niscences of troubled and bye-gone times. 



Dunstanburgh castle continued in the possession of the 

 crown till February 6th, 1625, when it was granted by 

 James I. to Sir William Grey, baron of Wark ; and this 

 grant was confirmed by William III. on 20th December, 

 1694.f The castle passed to his descendants ; but Ford lord 

 Grey his grandson, who died in 1701, left no male issue, and 

 his only daughter Mary, who had married Charles Bennet, 

 the first earl of Tankerville, claimed all the estates as heir of 

 her father. Ralph Grey, Ford's brother, however, succeeded 

 to the title of lord Grey of Wark, and also claimed the estates 

 from a settlement of the first lord Grey. After some litiga- 

 tion, the dispute was compromised by agreement, which was 

 confirmed by Parliament in 1704; and the estates were 

 divided between the par ties, J and Stamford and Embleton 

 with Dunstanburgh castle fell to the share of lady Ossulston, 



* Hodgs. Hist. North, p. 207. 



f Grose III. p. 86. 



| Eaine's North Durham p. 218. 



