REPORT OF MEETINGS FOR 1907 159 



Whitchester in early times belonged to the Cistercian 

 Nunnery at Coldstream, but no traces of ancient buildings 

 are to be found there. A series of artificial ponds has 

 been constructed upon the stream in the dean below, along 

 whose sides the proprietor has planted a number of native 

 trees and wild flowers, thus providing a charming pleasure- 

 ground in the midst of wild upland pasture. At the junction 

 of the road with that from Duns, which crosses the Whitadder 

 at Ellemford by a modern stone bridge erected by the County 

 Council, the members had their attention drawn to the site of 

 the ancient church of EUem, or Eld-ham, "the old dwelling," 

 as it is said to signify. In his paper on "The Pre-Reformation 

 Churches of Berwickshire," Mr John Ferguson, F.S.A., states 

 that "the foundations of the North, West, and East walls, 

 covered with turf, can be easily traced, and a small portion 

 of the South wall, 10 feet in length, 5 feet in height, and 2 feet 

 9 inches thick, is still standing. It presents no architectural 

 details, and there is accordingly nothing to enable us to fix 

 the date of its erection ; but we know that the church was 

 dedicated by Bishop Bernham in 1243."*'- In view of the 

 distance still to be traversed before reaching Duns, no time 

 was allowed for examining these scanty remains, the drive 

 being continued by Burnhouses and Chapel amid beautifully 

 wooded banks, till on gaining the high ground above Cumledge 

 Mill another extensive view attracted the eye, and in measure 

 compensated for the disappointment of the morning. From 

 Cockburn Law and Wardlaw Bank on the North, and Cheviot 

 with the Wooler liills on the South, there stretched Eastward 

 a tract of country terminating in the coast-line between 

 Tweedmouth and St. Abb's, which, as it comprised alike the 

 broad acres of the Merse and the more broken contour of 

 the North-East of Berwickshire, supplied even the dullest 

 mind with an object-lesson of the resources of good husbandry. 

 While skirting the woods of Duns Castle, note was taken of 

 the fact that the Great Spotted Woodpecker ( Dendrocopus 

 major) was nesting there. The drive from Longformacus 

 had throughout proved pleasant, and was accomplished almost 

 within the prescribed limit, the carriages drawing up at 



* Ber. Nat. Club, Vol. xiii., p. 143. 



