124 ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS 



Selby, had recently built a little tower, but it was not 

 yet completed at the time of the survey. At Brankstone 

 John Selby had repaired his tower, and the tower of 

 the Selb3^s at Grindon Rigg is described as in serviceable 

 condition. The township of Downeham adjoining Pawston 

 had been lately purchased by Cuthbert Ogle, a clerk in 

 holy orders, who seems to have combined his clerical 

 duties with the occupation of farming his own land. 

 Following the excellent example of his neighbour, Selby 

 of Pawston, he had also built a tower for the protection 

 of his property, though at the time of the survey it was 

 incomplete as to the upper storey and the battlements. 

 The old tower of Lanton had lain a ruin for more than 

 forty years, and was, I fancy, never restored ; but at 

 Heathpool there was a little stone house or pele, which 

 was said to afford great relief to the tenants of the 

 place, and the Strothers had, at Kirk-Newton, a little 

 tower and a stone house, of which latter we are told 

 that in the last wars it had been burnt by the Scots. 

 The country lying to the West of the river Till beyond 

 Wooler was also in a pitiable condition. The tower of 

 Wooler itself, which the survey states would have been 

 of great use for the defence of the country thereabouts, 

 had half fallen down through lack of repair, and though 

 there was a small fortlet at Akeld to the West of Wooler, 

 little bastles at Yearle and Middleton, two sma.ll towers 

 at Chatton, and a tower in good repair at Fowberry, 

 still, for the most part, the district was very badly 

 provided for in the matter of defence. On the East side 

 of the Till there was the great tower of Fenton with 

 accommodation for a garrison of a hundred men, to which 

 place Ewart and others of the adjoining manors had 

 been in the habit of resorting in the time of war ; but 

 unfortunately this important defence, like the neigh- 

 bouring castle of Ford, had fallen into considerable decay. 

 The tower of Nesbit also had completely fallen down, 

 and ceased to exist, wdiile Pdorton Castle was in little 



