Export of Meetings for 1881. By Jas. Hardy. 461 



the rector, the Eev. T. Q-. Baillie, who along with Mr F. E. Wilson 

 pointed out and explained whatever was noteworthy. The tower 

 stands in a commanding situation, and from the summit which is 

 attained by a spiral staircase, there is an extensive view of the 

 vale of the Eaelees and Monk burns, and the country opposite. 

 About the tower are many ancient remains, one being a stone 

 from Bremenium, which had been rescued from being a gate 

 post. "Who was the erecter of the tower is not quite certain. The 

 shield in front of it carries the arms of the Umfravilles, a cinque- 

 foil with an orle of eight cross crosslets ; and above it the helmet, 

 surmounted with a cinquefoil for the crest, is supported by two 

 wolves, each holding a sword upright. Below the shield are 

 letters in the old English character supposed to mean " E. Dom- 

 inus de Eede, and are probably intended for Sir Eobert Umfra- 

 ville, a distinguished member of this family, who died in 1436." 

 Others suppose that Sir Eobert Taylboys is the person indicated. 

 The castle has undergone a great change. As a lively writer 

 says, "■ ' Cedant arma togae' was the notice to quit served upon 

 the warlike tenants of Elsdon tower, when Cheviot Hills ceased 

 to be the boundary between two hostile nations. The occupation 

 of the Lord of Eedesdale was gone for there were no longer 

 wolves in the county, nor enemies of the king to encounter within 

 the four seas ; and the Border rider, clad in a rusty steel jack 

 and armed with a long sword, stalked out, and the rector having 

 on a new cassock and a clean band, walked in, and hung up his 

 goodly beaver in the hall, where the former tenant used to hang 

 up his helmet."* 



By the waysides on leaving the village for Otterburn, the com- 

 mon burnet f Sanguisorha officinalis) was growing. The Eev. J. 

 F. Bigge found in one of the inn gardens a form of the common 

 tansy with much subdivided foliage, which he had long observed 

 grown there. In Scotland it is called " gingerbread." At Over- 

 acres farm, now the property of the Duke of Northumberland, a 

 party left the general company, and ascended the hill above it, 

 called in Armstrong's Map, " Coolaw hill," but in Mr Arkle's 

 plan of the parish, *' Colwell hill," to examine an extensive Brit- 

 ish camp on one of its summits. In the moist half- wild pastures, 

 which are given to grow Nardus strida far up, several plants of 

 the adder's tongue fern ( Ophioglossum vulgatum) were gathered. 

 The camp was double-ringed, but not so strong in the ramparts 

 * Chatto's Rambles in Nortlmmberland, pp. 109, 110. 



