24 Reprrt of Meetings for ]887. By J. Hardy. 



the backs of Acton Hall and Acton House appeared. Several 

 old Hollies and Hawthorns stood marshalled near, indicative of 

 an obsolete mansion. The site of Old Felton could not be far off. 

 Sanirula Europcea grew in a plantation, and Juncm glaucus on the 

 moist margins of the road. The dry hedge-banks were overrun 

 with wild strawberry. Here was caught a view of the back of 

 Felton, the wooded line showing the course of the Coquet, and 

 in the distance the dark woods clustered round the hollow in 

 which Brenckburn is enshrined. 



Felton is an open village on a steep acclivity. Two picturesque 

 thatched old houses were noteworthy relics of a bygone age, 

 erected with rough unsymmetrical sandstone blocks, and having 

 square small-paued windows ; one with the front, the other with 

 the end-wall to the street. Facing to the south is a fine terrace 

 of tall new houses, with luxuriant wall-roses in full bloom, trained 

 over their fronts. Felton is famous for its roses. The river 

 sceneiy is finer above than immediately below Felton bridge. In 

 the present low state of the river, it was divided below the bridge 

 into two channels, with a gravelly island intervening. The party 

 at Felton, including the President, were awaiting our arrival, 

 and the horses were speedily yoked. Rising up the " Peth," we 

 had a view of the fine woodland scenery attached to the mansion 

 of Felton Park and probably co-eval with it, for it is not old. 

 On the left was a fine field of red-clover, with flaunting red- 

 poppies interspersed, but this weed is not prevalent here. The 

 Corn Crowfoot also showed itself. 



From Felton it was at first proposed that an expedition 

 should be undertaken to Helm-on-the-Hill, but some preliminary 

 diggings instituted by Mr P.md were not deemed sufficiently 

 productive to take the Club in that direction. Mr Pand, in a 

 letter dated 1st June 1887, says: "Near to Bockenfield, an 

 ancient seat of the Herons, is an eminence named the Helm o' 

 the Hill * commanding a very extensive view, and which was 

 no doubt a very important post of the 'troublesome times.' 

 Within a short distance is the site of a chapel dedicated to St 

 Cuthbert, where his body was vested in the flight of the Monks 

 from Durham to Holy Island. I went about a fortnight ago, 

 and had portions of the foundations laid bare, but there is really 

 little to be seen to mark the spot. In a hedge adjoining we 



* There was once another Helm Hill on Scrainwood estate, possibly the 

 hill on which the map indic'iles " J'lack Ohe'sters»" 



