REPORT OF MEETINGS FOR 1901 23 



of Antiquities. All then, after luncheon, proceeded westwards 

 to visit the Roman Wall : the road on which they drove 

 (Colonel Wade's military road) passed between the Vallum 

 and the Wall, the latter being to the north of them, and 

 well displayed in several places. 



Beyond a long stretch of the Vallum, cut through various 

 rock strata, the top of Limestone Bank was reached, and 

 the party left their conveyances to examine the moor in 

 which the ditches of the Murus and Vallum were cut through 

 a cap of basaltic trap rock (diorite) which covers the top 

 of the hill. This is the most northerly point which the Wall 

 reaches, and it commands a beautiful panoramic view of the 

 North Tyne Valley with its hills beyond, Chipchase Castle 

 being seen nestling among its moors in the distance. The 

 ditches have been cut through the solid rock, of which 

 numerous large masses, weighing many tons each, remain lying 

 on the outer edges. In the ditch of the Murus a large block 

 of whinstone is still left, showing, on its upper surface, five 

 holes cut for the insertion of thin iron wedges used in splitting 

 up the hard rock : in each case the Roman mason has cut 

 his wedgehole correctly on the line of cleavage. After seeing 

 the long stretches of the mounds and ditches of the Vallum, 

 leading away westward to Procolitia, the party returned by 

 Fourstones to Hexham. 



Here they had a short time for visiting the Abbey and 

 the crypt before separating to their various destinations. 

 (Plate III.— Hexham.)* 



An interesting fact in regard to the botany of this excursion 

 is that the Erinus Alpinus (a Swiss plant), the Corydalis lutea, 

 and a Saxifrage, found amongst the Roman ruins, are all 

 introduced plants, not indigenous to this country, but easily 

 propagated. 



The finding of one of these three plants upon the Roman 

 Wall — namely, the Corydalis lutea, one of the fumitories which 

 is a native of the Roman Campagna— had suggested to our 

 President, Sir George Douglas, a brief poom, which he permits 

 to be quoted here, and which members who have not already 

 seen it will be glad to meet with now. 



* From a photograph taken by Miss M. Milne Home. 



