174 Report of Meetings for 1888. By J. Hardy. 



monasteries. One of them had married a Hastings heiress. 

 This family underwent various vicissitudes, and a whole house- 

 hold of them were tried for murder at the Newcastle Assizes. 

 Falling into difficulties and disgrace, we finally perceive the 

 estate occupied by one of the Claverings for a life-time ; and his 

 daughter, by a tradition in the Fenwick family is said to have 

 married one of the Fenwicks, an opulent Newcastle merchant, 

 representative of one of the branches of that once wide-spread 

 race, by whose descendants some of whom were tree-planters, 

 land-improvers, introducers of hot-houses, as well as builders of 

 the newer part of the erections surrounding the old central peel, 

 the estate was held almost to the present time, when it was 

 annexed by purchase to the Shawdon property. 



Several of the best hewn and ornamental stones were transferred 

 to Titlington, and some of the carved stones are at Shawdon. 

 One of the capacious fire-places still remains entire. It is quite 

 plain. A drawing of it has been obtained. Several British cists 

 were come upon by the workmen engaged in forming the 

 adjacent plantations ; but they were empty. Some massive 

 limbs of oak trees dug out on Overthwarts, when it was recently 

 drained, testify to the ancient sylvan aspect of the country. 



The next stage was Broompark, which stands directly opposite 

 Lemmington, on a parallel but lower ridge, within the circuit of 

 a green park and encompassing trees. It is of about the same 

 square form and age as Shawdon and Biddleston Halls. To 

 reach it the Edlingham burn has to be crossed at Battle Bridge. 

 The crossing is at 189 J feet above sea-level. To account for the 

 name a traditionary battle is said to have been fought in the 

 vicinity between the Saxons and the Danes. The Saxons, 

 according to the story, marched from an encampment on Robert's 

 Law in Coquetdale, to repel the invaders, but being vanquished, 

 to escape the more expeditiously cast their upper garments away, 

 on what, from that circumstance is now called, Garment Edge. 

 " Garmintedge Bank" on Low Broompark farm lies at a 

 considerable distance to the west of Battle Bridge, and commences 

 at the S.W corner of Broompark policy, where the public road 

 between Edlingham and Bolton runs, and terminates near 

 Jackey's Bridge on the Coe burn. The name recalls a road-way 

 of similar designation, Garmondsway, Via Garmundi, on the 

 Salters' Eoad between Billingham and Durham. King Cnut in 

 proceeding on a pilgrimage to Durham came with naked feet 



