250 Report of Meetings for 1880, by James Hardy. 



belonged to tbis, or tbe old building forming tbe cbancel of tbe 

 parisb cburcb, I cannot decide ; but an ancient well, called St. 

 Mary's well, tbere indicated must bave been near tbe cbapel on 

 tbe Crag. At tbat date, Ebzabetb, widow of PbiHp Darcy, bad 

 as part of ber dowry, ' ' a certain part of tbe wood towards tbe 

 east, to wit from Seynt Mary Well as far as La Close noke, and 

 leading from La Close noke as far as La Cbapelle Eode." Tbis 

 well may bave supplied water for tbe font or ceremonial lustra- 

 tion. Sucb was once tbe custom in Nortb Wales.*' " St. Mary's 

 Well," I am informed by Mr Jobn Aitcbison, " is situated less 

 tban a quarter of a mile from tbe nortb end of tbe town of Bel- 

 ford, on tbe site of tbe turnpike road leading to Berwick. It is 

 no great distance from tbe old site of St. Mary's Cburcb on tbe 

 Crag. It is a fine, strong spring of water, and appears to bave 

 been at one time well kept. I bave beard my motber, wbo lived 

 over 82 years in Belford and its immediate neigbbourbood, say 

 tbat tbis well, in ber recollection, supplied most of tbe people in 

 tbe nortb end of tbe town witb water ; tbat it was walled up on 

 eacb side, and covered over witb a large stone on tbe top ; and 

 tbat two ' ladles,' fastened by cbains to tbe sides, were always 

 kept tbere for tbe purpose of passers by getting a drink wben 

 tbey required. Of late years, bowever, tbe well bas been re- 

 moved from tbe side of tbe road into tbe otber side of tbe bedge, 

 in tbe corner of a field, wbere it is stiU to be seen, and wbere, I 

 believe, tbe people living at tbe Cbesters farm still draw from it 

 wbat water tbey need." 



Mr Wilson pointed out a place .in tbe fields in a bollow, on tbe 

 west side of tbe Crag, wbere an urn bad been found in a grave 

 tbree feet long. In deep plougbings graves are struck, in 

 scattered positions, but no record is kept ; tbey are usually 

 empty. Adders {Pelias Berus) are numerous on tbe Crag, and 

 in tbe woods at tbe back of it. Mr Jobn Aitcbison, Belford, in- 

 forms me tbat tbey are found at Pennibeugb, Laybeugb, Coal 

 Wood, Belford Moor, and otber places on Belford estate. 



Tbe view was extensive, but dimmed by tbe moisture in tbe 

 atmospbere, and included Holy Island, Bamburgb, tbe sandy 

 sbore at Budle, and tbe inland range of bigb moorland ground. 

 A farm named Chesters lies at no great distance, and tbere is a 

 camp on tbe estate of a square form called tbe " Derry Camp." 

 We beard of no otber antiquities of tbis class. 



* See Pennant, in Brand's Pop. Antiq. ii., 227, 228. 



