YEAVERING BELL AND HAREHOPE FORT 167 



Harehope, which, approached from this side, is a very im- 

 posing object, with its three lines of walls rising one above 

 the other. The members were greatly impressed by this fort, 

 the arrangement of its walls, and the advantage taken of the 

 strength of the ground adjacent to Monday Cleugh, causing 

 one to feel in touch with the early builder, whose motive 

 and plan are so transparent. 



Leaving Harehope, the path led through Homil-heugh, a 

 deep ravine running behind Homildon Hill, and dividing it 

 from the high ground to the South, at whose base there are 

 several ancient enclosures. At some points on the way a 

 good view was obtained of parts of the great stone fort on 

 Homildon Hill. In walking over the fields towards Wooler, 

 some discussion arose as to the locality of the great, and for 

 Scotland, disastrous fight of Homildon. It is by no means 

 easy to fix on ground that accords with the written description 

 of what took place. Most historians agree that when the 

 Scots on their return from raiding in the direction of New- 

 castle, laden with plunder and marching carelessly, reached 

 Wooler, they found Hotspur with a force equal to their own 

 drawn up on the heights commanding the pass. Sir Herbert 

 Maxwell in his " House of Douglas," relates that they 

 waited till Douglas' column had bivouacked on low ground 

 called Millfield, and then moved swiftly to attack them. But 

 Douglas was not off his guard, for, on the approach of the 

 English, he withdrew his force to the bare uplands of Homil- 

 don, and there awaited attack in the customary "schiltrans" 

 or squares. The Millfield mentioned must refer to ground 

 belonging to a mill close to Wooler, probably Homildon Mill. 

 Nor can it be easily conceived that the Scots then drew off 

 and occupied the summit and terraces of Homildon Hill 

 itself. They would not be allowed time for so lengthened 

 an operation, so that more probably it was the smaller hill 

 between Homildon burn and Homildon village which they 

 occupied, and where they stood like cattle to be slaughtered. 

 From the first the English had the command of the position, 

 holding the higher ground on the interior of the circle by 

 which the Scots were compelled to march on the way to 

 Scotland. They are blamed for not charging sooner, but 

 they would naturally be unwilling to break up and drop the 



