270 Meport of Meetings for 1880, by James Hardy. 



under stones projected beyond tbe wall, and the second course 

 also, and on this extended base the wall rested ; on the steep 

 portions the bottom of the wall was protected by a causeway, to 

 prevent its being undermined by rain-torrents.] Crossing the 

 road leading from Mumps Hall to Over Denton, the members 

 entered the Willowford farm and traced the line of the Wall 

 through the first field, when they entered the deep Fosse. The 

 bottom of the Fosse is the cart road to the Willowford farm." 



" Passing in the rear of Willowford, the ditch has been filled 

 up, but the wall, though in a dilapidated condition, descends 

 through another field, and may be traced by the great quantity 

 of large, square, and rounded stones in the fence, overgrown, 

 and almost entirely covered with trees and underwood. It con- 

 tinues in this way until within fifty yards of the river, and in a 

 straight line with it, on the top of the opposite high cliff, may be 

 seen the beginning of the wall running to Birdoswald."* Cam- 

 den (Britannia, fol. 1038) was of opinion that the Irthing was 

 here crossed by a bridge : " Upon the wall is Burd-Oswald ; and 

 below this, the Picts-Wall pass'd the river Irthing by an arch'd 

 bridge." The following is the latest evidence on the subject : — 

 " Feeling confident," says Jenkinson, " that here would exist the 

 foundation of a bridge similar in character to the wonderful re- 

 mains to be seen on the banks of the North Tyne at Chollerford, 

 we paid many visits to the place, and came to the conclusion that 

 such would be met with if the accumulation of sand on the banks 

 of the stream were removed. Fortunately, on our last visit, we 

 met at Birdoswald with Mr John Armstrong, a master mason, re- 

 siding at Gilsland, and he assured us that when the old Peel 

 house at Willowford was pulled down, thirty-six years since 

 (written in 1875), and the present" farm-house built, the founda- 

 tion of the bridge was visible, and a great number of very large 

 stones, beautifully shaped, and with the luis holes in them, were 

 taken from the bank of the river, close to where the wall evidently 

 crossed, and were broken and used in building the house. From 

 the quality of the stones it was evident they had come from the 

 Lodges Quarry, near the Low Pow railway station. He was 

 also of opinion that they only got a part of the stones, and that 

 many more would be found in their original positions if the sand 

 was removed."! 



* Jenkinson's Guide to Carlisle, Gilsland, &c., p. 80. 

 t Ibid. pp. 199, 200. 



