458 Report of Meetings for 1889. By Dr. J. Hardy. 



The church was erected in 1808, and on the opposite side of 

 the river from where it stands is a cottage occupying the site of 

 Westburnflat, where lived Willie Armstrong, the last Border 

 reiver, who was tried and suffered death at Selkirk. 



Passing the small farm of Powisholm, we now cross the 

 Liddel, and reach the Manse on our left. On the right, placed on a 

 height with a few ash trees round it, is a cottage called Newstead, 

 which can be plainly seen from the head of Liddesdale. There 

 are hereabouts, quantities of Raspberry bushes in the woods, 

 from seeds dispersed by the Wood-pigeons ; and Wild Roses, 

 Fox-gloves, and Geranium sylvaticum, were abundant. 



The high ground on our right all the way up the valley, is 

 about two miles west of the Border Line, until immediately at 

 the head of the valley ; where the valley sweeps to the east, 

 causing the boundary line to cross the valley of the Liddel at 

 Deadwater. Here a modern stone wall ascends the south- 

 western slope of Peel Fell " on the tap o' the hill where the 

 wind and weather shears." {Guy Mannering, chap, xxxvi.) 



Down those hills that lie to our right, between us and the 

 horizon, the tracks of deeply-worn mountain torrents may be 

 seen distinctly. This is more especially the case on Larriston 

 Fell. 



The road ascends and passes over Aislie Moor, where Claver- 

 house's army camped in 1685. . We next reach Castleton 

 churchyard, at the south-western corner of which stood the 

 Manse, where Armstrong the poet was born, on the edge of 

 the precipitous bank overlooking the Liddel. A little farther 

 up was the site of Liddel Castle, which was examined on the 

 return journey. On the opposite side of the road are many 

 vestiges of the village of Old Castleton, and the socket or base 

 of a cross 28 inches square, the socket holes being 8 inches 

 square. On the moor, further to • the English border, is a well 

 preserved round camp of no great strength. 



Crossing the Harden Burn, we have the farm of Mains lying 

 on our left in the holm. The old border keep here is now 

 entirely demolished. The betrayer of Hobbie Noble dwelt at 

 the Mains. 



" At Kershope foot the tryste was set, 

 Kershope of the lilye lee ; 

 And there was traitor Sim o' the Mains, 

 And with him a private companie." 



