Report of Meetings for 1886. By J. Hardy. 337 



Woodhorn Church, has been renovated, and most of the ex- 

 ternals speak of yesterday, rather than of the very ancient 

 structure it is known to represent. We are told by Hoveden, 

 that King Ceolwulph presented to St Cuthbert, "Wodecester 

 (Woodhorn,) and Whittinghain, and Edulfingham, and Ecwling- 

 ham." Ceolwulph died a.d. 764 ; and it is to him that Beda 

 dedicates his Ecclesiastical History. The subjects of donation 

 were doubtless ancient royal demesnes, and one of them escaped 

 in its future history ever having a superior feudal lord. They 

 may thus be regarded as the vestiges of an ancient state of 

 economy, more memorable than that which prevailed in most 

 other districts of Northumberland ; and the churches attached to 

 them inherit a corresponding share of antiquity. Although the 

 key and the keeper had both gone amissing, we were quite 

 satisfied to rest in the porch of the church, and inspect the frag- 

 ments of crosses, inscriptions, and ornaments — a sort of sepul- 

 chral museum — disposed on the walls or at the sides. These 

 have been roughly figured in Mr F. E. Wilson's " Churches of 

 Lindisfarne," p. 180 ; as well as those at Newbiggen, at p. 184. 

 We certainly could not appreciate the effigy of what is said to be 

 an abbess built into the lower stage of the tower. The dress 

 and attitude are anything but graceful. In the churchyard 

 broad heavy upright sandstone slabs, with preposterously large 

 letters in the inscriptions, were the favourite style of commemor- 

 ation. The graveyards here are commendable for being carefully 

 kept. At the invitation of the vicar, Mr Shortt, we partook of 

 his hospitality, and enjoyed a long and animated conversation. 

 There is a rookery in the plantation surrounding the vicarage. 

 Notable under the trees was the profusion of pilewort, Ranun- 

 culus ficaria. Doronicum PardaUanches, pervaded the orchard. As 

 ancient weeds, Chenopodiurn Bonus- Henricus, and JEgopodium 

 Podagraria were very conspicuous, introduced no one knows how 

 long ago. The vicarage is prettily situated and well screened 

 from the winds. 



While Edward II., always attended by disgrace, halted in 

 some of his baffled enterprises at Newbiggen, Edward I. his 

 vigorous minded father, flushed with the success of one of his 

 deep laid schemes, visited Woodhorn on the 19th December, 

 1292. The day was Friday, and here the court spent £23 13s 

 11 -kl, and consumed of wine from the cellar, 80£ sextarii ; the 

 1 Q 



