180 Anniijersary Address. 



are foot paths leading to it, and piety has placed a stone cross 

 in the moss-grown chancel. Close adjoining to it, on the 

 outside of the building, is a cool and copious spring called 

 St. Mary's Well, and known by that name to the inhabitants 

 long before these ruins were disinterred. Among those ancient 

 records, the returns to the writs of ad quod damnun, I am told, 

 that this foundation is mentioned as the chantry of St. Mary, 

 and that the jurors say that it would not be to the damage of 

 our Lord the King, or any of his subjects if this chantry was 

 to be founded. It has been of small dimensions — judging by 

 the eye about 15ft. by 10ft. It is a curious place to fix upon, 

 and I can hardly imagine it would have been so placed, unless 

 to commemorate the spot where some celebrated warrior died, 

 or where some devotee had escaped death, probably a watery 

 grave, in the deep part of the river adjoining, called the pool; 

 upon this, however, it is needless to speculate. 



From thence we proceeded a little way along the walk 

 through the woods by the side of the river, above the pool, 

 admiring its sylvan beauties at every step. Our time was too 

 limited to extend our walk to Tindal House and Tipthoe, where 

 the scenery consists of high crags and scaurs ; we returned by 

 the river side and Etal Mill and so on to the old ruinous 

 castle of Etal. The present state of the building shews it to 

 have been a place of some importance in olden Border warfare. 



The entrance to the castle is nearly entire, with its port- 

 cullis and warder's lodges on each side, and above the gate- 

 way are the arms of " Manners" on a stone shield with crest 

 above it. The castle wall is entire along the south side ; on 

 the west side the wall is entirely removed, but the keep itself, 

 on the north-west angle shews the height and accommodation 

 it contained. The vault under the surface-level of the ground 

 consisted of a vault with ribbed arch-roof; above have been 

 four sets of floors, each now in their decay showing doorways, 

 fire-places, hobs where beams have been inserted to support 

 each floor, and there has been access to them by a circular 

 stair, the ruins of which still exist. This interesting erection 

 wants a little underbuilding to prevent the whole toppling 

 down some day, and perhaps the present noble owner would 



