Report of Meetings for 1887. By J. Hardy. 25 



found some dressed stones used in its erection, and pieces of 

 mouldings for doors or windows with the zig-zag and dog-tooth 

 ornaments." Subsequently a road on a lower platform was 

 selected, which included Brenckburn, and led to Long Framling- 

 ton, and skirted a district that still continues unexplored. 



Turning from the main road to the left, we wound our way 

 through a cultivated country between mostly tall, thorn hedges, 

 intertwined with wild roses, and of no great agricultural pre- 

 tensions, with some small farm steadings here and there, one of 

 them being Bywell. The soil is a brownish yellow clay of 

 decomposed sandstone and perhaps coal-shale. There were 

 willow-herbs (Epilohium hirsutum) in the open moist ditches. 

 Mr Dand said that the irregularly crooked road represented the 

 boundary of townships. A ridge of high ground terminated the 

 view near Bockenfield, and at the top of it was a remarkable field 

 of wild mustard, visible from every direction, being the only one 

 of the particularly pale yellow of this weed. This was at "Helm- 

 on-the-Hill." This ridge was continuous to Eothbury Forest. 

 Between us and it lay much well divided, but bare land, appar- 

 ently in a back-going condition, and requiring a new wave of the 

 spirit of improvement to renovate it once more. Soon may that 

 period arrive, and those fields again smile in the bright green 

 that culture confers ! 



Prospects improved as we issued at Hedley Wood Bank, on the 

 Wooler and Morpeth turnpike, with Brinkheugh in front, about 

 which we were told the story of the proprietor shooting his son. 

 After passing a brick- work we came down on Weldon Bridge, so 

 often sung by Robert Roxby, and his genial poetical companions 

 and imitators of the angling fraternity. At the joiner's and 

 blacksmith's shops we turned up to Brenckburn. The half 

 swampy ground by the river side is overgrown with willow plots 

 (Salix purpurea, etc.,) alders; and black-headed Car ex riparia in 

 the ditches. On the south-side the spacious foliage of Petasites 

 vulgaris came into the picture. On the right hand were many 

 rough weeds Hypoclmris radicata, Charophyllum temulenfum, 

 Knautia arvensis, Geranium pratense, etc.: much Juncus glaucus ; 

 abundance of wild roses ; not many brambles. The Hawthorn 

 had been rich in blossom, which was now fading into a red tint. 

 At length a footpath conducting to Brenckburn Priory was 

 reached, and the conveyances were abandoned. Here under 

 woods partly native, but principally planted, a rich flora compen- 



