S42 Chapel of St Cuthhert-in-the-Sea. 



bably a part of the roof of a porch. The walls of the chapel, so 

 far as they exist, are built of the whiustone of which the island 

 consists. 



Attached to the west end of the chapel were found under the 

 surface of the ground, the walls of a room — the traces of which 

 were noticed by Canon Kaine, and also by Archbishop Eyre as 

 mentioned by him in his ''Life of St. Cuthbert," — running 

 transversely to it, 28 feet 5 inches long from north to south, and 

 15 feet 8 inches wide. The western wall was much broken 

 down, but those on the north and south were in a fair state of 

 preservation. Steps were found from the floor of this room to a 

 platform on the north and south sides of the chapel ; whether 

 this extended all round the chapel or not it is impossible to say, 

 but as a door was found to have existed leading out to the 

 island, at the west end of the north side of it, probably there 

 were two small covered spaces — one at the porch of the chapel, 

 and the other at the door into the room attached. 



To the east of the chapel are the remains of what would appear 

 to have been a rough breakwater — as shown oh the Plan— the 

 use of which is difficult to be understood, as it is much above 

 high water mark. 



At the extreme south-east corner of the island, laid on the 

 solid rock, nearly on a level with high water, were found some 

 foundations of a building which may have been the cell or 

 dwelling place of a priest attached to the chapel. It con«isted 

 of a room 15 feet 10 inches wide, divided by a 4 feet wall into 

 two divisions, one of which seems to have contained a fireplace. 



Close to this, and at a slightly lower level, are the remains of 

 some much earlier work, and it may be suggested that this may 

 probably be the site of the cell to which St. Cuthbert was wont to 

 retire before he went to Fame ; as Monsignor Eyre has pointed 

 out, this small island in which Bishop Eadbert was accustomed 

 to spend Lent, corresponds exactly with the description of St. 

 Cuthbert's retreat, as given by Bede : '' remotior a monasterio 

 locus, refluis undique maris fluctibus cinctus." The legend that 

 Cuddy's Cove in the Kyloe Hills was the place as entertained by 

 Eaine, must be abandoned. 



]sfoTE. — Most of the above remarks concerning the remains on St. Cuth- 

 bert's Island have already appeared in the Proceedings of the Newcastle 

 Society of Antiquaries, but are here reprinted to accompany the Plan, 

 which has not appeared before. 



