214 REPORT OF THE MEETINGS FOR 1900 



North, which are cultivated up to their very summits. — To the 

 East are fine green Vales, in the midst of which the Town 

 of Alnwick, overlooked by the Castle, hath a most picturesque 

 appearance : below it, the River Alne is seen beautifully 

 winding towards the Sea. But above all the Sea itself most 

 nobly terminates this great Prospect to the East and South, 

 and extends itself all along the Coast down from beyond 

 the Farn Islands to the north ; yet not so distant but that 

 the Shipping may be plainly seen many miles from the 

 land, and affords a fine moving picture. On the margin of 

 the Sea the Ruins of Dunstanburgh-Castle, and the little 

 Port of Alnemouth, are two of the most striking objects. — 

 To the South-west a wild rude Moor, part of the ancient 

 Forest of Haydon", rises still higher than the Mountain on 

 which we stand ; yet clothed on one side to its very top 

 with infant plantations which are at present struggling 

 with the inclemencies of its situation, but promise fair to 

 surmount them. And here and there are interpersed 

 some of those Pyramids of Stone erected in ancient times 

 for Land-marks, and called by the inhabitants Cairns or 

 Kerns. 



And now the eye being fully glutted with these great 

 and wild views of nature, we descend from this eminence 

 in order to coijtemplate other Scenes more confined and more 

 cultivated. For winding down to the bottom of the Mountain, 

 we cross the River, and find that Hulne Abbey, which 

 before appeared so low beneath our feet, is really situated 

 on a Hill of no inconsiderable height, to which we again 

 ascend from the River, 



Hulne Abbey was the first Monastery of Carmelite Friars 

 in these Kingdoms. The account of its Foundation is thus 

 given by ancient Writers. Among the British Barons, who 

 went to the Holy Wars in the reign of King Henry III. 

 were William de Vescy, Lord of Alnwick, and Richard 

 Gray, two eminent Chieftains in the christian army. Led 

 by curiosity or devotion, they went to visit the Monks of 

 Mount Carmel, and there unexpectedly found a countryman 

 of their own, one Ralph Fresborn, a Northumberland man, 

 who had distinguished himself in a former Crusade, and in 

 consequence of a vow had afterwards taken upon him the 



