66 REPORT OF MEETINGS FOR 1901 



a series of phrases eloquent of weather — "gathering rain," 

 "moist mists," "gradually soaked through," "bitter gusts" 

 — the party were "snugly housed in two inns till their clothes 

 were dried," and when later on the rain "burst over their 

 heads once more" they sheltered themselves, the second 

 time, under "umbrellas and top-coats" in a fir plantation. 

 The present excursion enjoyed the finest of summer weather, 

 and the noon-day heat was even perhaps excessive, so that 

 some were fain to walk with open umbrellas and without 

 top-coats. 



The other point of contrast is suggested by the words of 

 the earlier report, which state that at Alwinton " we found 

 the President and several other members who had crossed 

 the hills from Scotland on the previous evening, an invasion 

 the inhabitants had not looked for." On the later occasion 

 the Club expected to meet their President at Alwinton, after 

 his morning walk from Cocklaw Foot, but to their regret 

 found themselves obliged to return towards Biddleston without 

 the hoped-for rencontre. They were glad to meet him later 

 in the afternoon, refreshed by his long hill walk, in spite 

 of the sultry weather. 



The majority of members started to drive from Whittingham 

 at 9-15 a.m., to meet at Holystone a smaller number starting 

 from Eothbury. The road being generally uphill, the driving 

 pace was slow, and gave us time to take in the points of 

 the wide landscape. 



Passing Eslington Hall, standing in the dene below us on 

 our right, surrounded by its trees and deer park, we were 

 entering upon the original " Colliugwood country," around 

 and before us, held by that notable family until the year 

 1715. We now saw the tops of Cheviot and Hedgehope 

 just showing, pale blue, over the nearer flanking hills; then, 

 dipping downhill a bit, we crossed the Shartley Burn by a 

 ford, and having passed through Netherton (built of light- 

 tinted yellow stone), across another ford, there appeared on 

 the right of the road a ruined building, which might, from 

 its high pitched roof, have once been a chapel. 



After walking up a hill we came in sight, far off on the 

 right hand, of Biddleston Hall, standing out a square block 

 upon the hillside, and on our left was the dell of Burradon. 



