44 Report of Meetings for 1885. By Jas. Hardy. 



lias been given. In one of the heaps on Wards Hill I found 

 some very rough pieces of potteiy, badly baked and certainly 

 very ancient. Charcoal was the fuel used in smelting ; frag- 

 ments of this are found in the slag. Mr Gr. Storey, of Caistron, 

 tells me that there are large heaps of slag at the eastern end of 

 the parish, near Hepplo Woodside." 



In the vast amount of wood that would be requisite to carry 

 on the smelting works and blomeries for the reduction of the ore, 

 there is a sufficient explanation for the wide denudation of well 

 timbered tracts in times w 7 hen replanting was not practised. 

 The subject has never been propexiy investigated. "In every 

 part of the forest," says Mackenzie, " and over the whole extent 

 of Eimside Moor and Longframlington chapelry, large quantities 

 of scoria have been found, which clearly demonstrate that iron 

 at least had been procured in considerable abundance," 

 (Hist. Northd. ii. p. 51). I have met with only three instances 

 of forges or smelting stations, among the published documents 

 relating to Northumberland, and they are mediaeval. In 1253, 

 37, Henry III. there is a payment of 10 shillings from Eoger 

 fitz Ralph, the Royal Forester for Northumberland, for having 

 his forge in the wood of Oharleton, (North Oharleton), as is con- 

 tained in the roll of lands set to rent in the shire by Galfrid de 

 Langel and his companions, the king's justices. (Hodgson's 

 Hist. Northd. Part III. vol. iii. Pipe Polls, col. 231). Here 

 the forge was actually placed in a wood. In 1296, 25 Edward 

 I., Laurence de St Maur the proprietor of Newton-by-the-Sea, 

 and Yardhill, had a forge at Alnewyk, (Inquis. p. Mortem, i. p. 

 133). The "Ward-hill mine has associated with it conjectural 

 modern attributes. " About 50 years ago (say 1775), a stone 

 was found in the Forest-burn, at a place called Meadowfield, and 

 near to this iron-mine, with this inscription, "I John Eepe, I 

 remane," which was conjectured to have been the foundation 

 stone of some erection, which formerly stood here for smelting 

 this metal," (Mackenzie, ii. p. 51). 



There is another reference to a forge that had been in action 

 within memory of the donor, Walter, son of Walter de Bolam,— 

 of a grant of pasturage near Newton, (Mitford parish), to the 

 monks of Newminster, situated in woodland and moory ground. 

 ' ' Common pasture to their cattle in my wood and in my moor, 

 by certain marches perambulated to them by my men, to-wit 

 from the forking of the way of Lithtedune (Leighton), across by 



