34 REPORT OP MEETINGS FOR 1906 



the foundations of an earlier building were laid bare by the 

 removal of an embankment of earth and debris in the construction 

 of a trench below the present floor-level to relieve the walls 

 of prevailing damp. The modern church is without transepts; 

 but the excavations already referred to brought to light the 

 foundations of North and South transepts, an extended chancel, 

 and a Western porch beyond the tower, though they have 

 not been sufficiently carried out so as to determine the full 

 dimensions of this more ornate building. In the opinion of 

 Mr Hicks, however, ample proof is supplied of its being an 

 example of an Early English church, consisting of a long 

 chancel, a nave with narrow aisles, and a Western tower, 

 which having suffered destruction, probably through fire, was 

 reconstructed with a chancel heavily buttressed on the North, 

 a nave without aisles, but with North and South transepts, 

 a South porch, and the ancient tower much disfigured by 

 cumbrous buttresses, presumably added for its support. This 

 building is regarded as belonging to the end of 15th, or the 

 beginning of 16th century, and has been again altered by the 

 removal of the buttresses of the chancel and the transepts, 

 as well as by the rebuilding of the East end of the chancel 

 and the upper part of the walls of the nave. The 13th century 

 character has thus been largely effaced, and the tower in 

 particular has lost much of its original elegance. The chancel 

 is the property of Sir John Swinburne, and contains the 

 family pew. The church is seated to accommodate two 

 hundred, and from 1823 to 1832 was the scene of the pulpit 

 ministrations of Rev. John Hodgson, the historian of North- 

 umberland. There belongs to it a silver chalice of the reign 

 of Queen Elizabeth, which was exhibited by the vicar. 



At 3 o'clock the members sat down to dinner in the 



Temperance Hotel, when the President proposed 

 Club a vote of thanks to Mr Edward Stobart, who 



Dinner. had kindly conducted the party during the 



earlier part of the day. 

 . Nominations in favour of Lord William Percy, 



Alnwick Castle, and Mr Geo. Alexander Russell, 



Glen Douglas, were duly intimated. 



