314 Mr. Tate on the Celtic Toum at Greaces Ash, 



Huts or cells, roofed over with stones overlapping and 

 forming a rude approximation to an arch, are seen in the 

 Cloghams in Ireland, in the Picts houses in Scotland and in 

 that remarkable structure Edin's Hall in Berwickshire. As 

 the dwellings against the ramparts at Greaves Ash were 

 covered over with great masses of stones, which might be 

 heaps caused by fallen-in roofs, excavations were made into 

 some of them, but vaulting could not be detected ; it is, 

 however, not improbable, but that some of these small cham- 

 bers had been roofed with stone, of which the traces have 

 been obliterated. 



Such is the information we glean of the towns and houses 

 of the Ancient Britons. The Romans, accustomed to the 

 comforts and magnificence of the Imperial City, would feel 

 justified in calling them wretched hovels. But though the 

 state of society was rude and the arts were but little advanced, 

 still some progress in civilization had, even at that distant 

 period, been made in the valley of the Breamish. The wide 

 hills around afforded pasturage for cattle in which " Britain 

 abounded ;" the extensive forests of old Cheviot tempted, as 

 we have seen, the hunter to chase the deer ; but the tribe was 

 not a wandering one ; it had settled within a walled town 

 and was, to some extent, engaged in cultivating the soil, for 

 the Querns found distinctly prove, that corn was grown and 

 used for food. Enclosed lands, south-east of the town, had 

 doubtless been under cultivation ; but horizontal ridges high 

 up on the hill sides, which were pointed out by Mr. Carr of 

 Hedgely, appear to be remains of this early culture. Similar 

 ancient terraces occur in the vale of the Tweed, in Peeble- 

 shire and other places in Scotland, where they are called 

 daisses* There was a necessity for choosing such elevated 

 spots for cultivation at an early period, since the lower 

 grounds would be covered with swamps and wood. Trunks 

 of trees, frequently found in peat on the Alnham moors, 

 tell of these ancient forests which have been destroyed. 



What traces, it may be asked, are there of the religion of 

 these primitive people ? Much given to superstition, addicted 

 to magic and under the influence of the Druids, some temples 

 there surely would be, where religious rites would be ob- 

 served and magical ceremonies performed. Antiquarians of 

 the last century found Druidical remains everywhere ; now a 

 reaction from excess has led to the opposite extreme — and 



* Robert Chambers, Proc. of Antiquaries for Scotland, vol. i. p. 127. 



