Mr. Tate on the Celtic Town at Greaves Ash. 293 



On the old Celtic Town at Greaves Ash, near Linhope, 

 Northumberland, loith an account of Diggings recently 

 made into this and other ancient remains in the Valley of 

 the Breamish. By George Tate, F.G.S.;, Correspond- 

 ing Member of the Society of Antiquaries in Scotland, &c. 



" 'Tis time to observe occurrences, and let nothing remarkable escape us; 

 the supinity of elder days hath left so much in silence, or time hath so martyred 

 the records, that the most illustrious heads do find no easie work to erect a new 

 Britannia." — Sir Thomas Browne. 



Scattered over the uncultivated moorlands and hills of 

 North Northumberland are many fortlets and circular found- 

 ations, which from their form, rude structure, and association 

 with barrows and cist-vaens, may with great probability, if 

 not certainty, be attributed to the Celtic or ancient British 

 race who peopled Northumberland, prior to the Roman inva- 

 sion of our island. The hills boundering the valley of the 

 Breamish are studded over with many of these structures ; 

 but the most remarkable are the ruins of a Celtic town on 

 Greaves Ash, near to Linhope. 



Aided by the liberality of His Grace the Duke of North- 

 umberland, the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club has been 

 enabled to make excavations among these ruins during the 

 present summer ; and two other fortlets and several barrows 

 have been partially opened. The excavations have been 

 carefully and systematically conducted, with the view of 

 showing the form and arrangements of the towns or fortlets, 

 and of discovering relics which might help to determine 

 their age, or throw light on the character of the people who 

 erected them.* These diggings have been successful in giv- 

 ing information respecting the rude masonry of the walls, the 

 form and style of dwellings, and the manner in which towns 

 were arranged and fortified in very early periods ; and 



* The Club is indebted to Ralph Carr, Esq., of Hedgeley, and J. C. Lang- 

 lands, Esq., of Old Bewick, and H. MacLauchlan, Esq., for their occasional 

 aid in directing the excavations ; and to R. Carr, Esq., Wm. Roddam, Esq., 

 of Roddam, H. AUgood, Esq., of Nunwick, and Wm. Colville, Esq., of Yet- 

 lington, for their readiness in granting liberty to make investigations on their 

 estates. It is also due to Mr. Coulson of Corbridgp to acknowleclgp his zeal and 

 intelligence in snprrintcnrling the ^vorkmcn. 



