166 YEAVERING BELL AND HAREHOPE PORT 



passing each other without confusion. Unfortunately, the 

 party passed unnoticed the fine little fort on St. Gregory's 

 Hill, and also a cluster of hut-circles and enclosures in the 

 angle of the burn on their left. The Botanical section of 

 the Club here passed round into the natural forest on the 

 North slope of the Bell, while the others went to the 

 summit, and were well rewarded by the fine view there 

 obtained, commanding as it does the Eastern seaboard and 

 the Northern parts of Northumberland, with Berwickshire and 

 the valley of the Tweed. They also spent some time in the 

 examination of the great stone enclosure circling round the 

 summit of the Hill, the numerous hut-circles and the circular 

 enclosure on the Eastern or highest part of the Hill, which 

 has been the site of the beacon fire. Here the Eev. Morris 

 Piddock, who had acted as guide so far, had to return to 

 Kirknewton, and it was necessary to consider and decide on 

 the line to be followed. After deliberation, it was deter- 

 mined to cross by Swint Law to Harehope Fort, and thence 

 to make a line for Wooler through the Homil-heugh, which 

 lay in full view from the Bell. 



In passing across the hollow towards Swint Law a fine 

 line of British road was ci'ossed, and another was seen on 

 Swint Law itself, as well as a large number of mounds 

 and remains of dwellings, most of which, however, had been 

 evidently dug into. A short distance to the South of Swint 

 Law is Tom Tallan's crag, and on the slope beyond that 

 once stood Tom Tallan's cairn. Maclauchlan informs us that 

 this cairn was being removed for wall building when he 

 visited the district in 1858. A labourer told him that a cist 

 had been discovered near its North side, of unhewn stones, 

 3 feet 6 inches by 1 foot 6 inches by 1 foot deep, but 

 that nothing was found in it. A few bones, however, were 

 found towards the middle of the cairn. The diameter of the 

 whole was about 2.5 yards. He derives the name from 

 the Celtic, Tomen, a tumulus, Tal, a forehead or promon- 

 tory, and Llan an enclosure. From Swint Law the party 

 descended into the glen formed by Akeld Burn, on the 

 further side of which they struck another line of old British 

 road, running nearly parallel to the burn. Turning a little 

 to the North they soon had before them the fine fort of 



