PHESIDEXT F; ABDKESS. 7 



came, in the ninth century, and burnt and slew after their man- 

 ner. Then followed two hundred years of ruin and neglect, ere, 

 early in the twelfth century, the present church was built. ^N'ot 

 long did it flourish, for before the next century closed the unruly 

 Scots burnt down the nave and plundered the priory, and by and 

 by the finishing stroke was given by the first Defender of the 

 Eaith, who, to defeat the prior's opposition, ordered him to be 

 hanged. The nave was never restored, consequently there re- 

 main only the choir and transepts, crowned by the tower. The 

 style is early English, and is especially remarkable for the ab- 

 sence of the elaborate ornament usual in pointed architecture. 

 Here the effect of graceful form is strengthened by simplicity. 

 Admirable is the view of the lofty arches in the clerestory. 

 Admirable, also, the view of the choir, with its quaintly carved 

 shrine of stone. 



At Staward Station the party were met by Mr. J. W. Hether- 

 ington. Assistant to Mr. Thomas J. Bewick, Mining Engineer, 

 Haydon Bridge, under whose kind direction a pathway, through 

 field and wood, was taken to the Peel, where some time was 

 spent in plant and butterfly hunting. The opportunity and 

 locality being favourable for rest and for refi'eshment, groups 

 were formed on the green-sward, and soon the appearance was 

 that of a large pic-nic. 



At the Peel William Henry Charlton, Esq., of Hesleyside, and 

 Francis Charlton, Esq., County Engineer, joined the party, and 

 gave them the benefit of their local knowledge, topographical 

 and botanical, and descanted on the beauties of the woodland 

 scenery. Mr. Hcthcrington, also, who had thoughtfully pro- 

 vided himself with the ordnance map, explained the geological 

 features, and pointed out the position of the faults, the Great 

 Stublic Dyke, etc. The fault, or Stublic Dyke, which inter- 

 sects the Coal-Ficld for many a mile, and by which the base lino 

 of the Coal-Measures in Northumberland is prolonged in a nar- 

 row band up the valley of the Tyne to the extremity of the 

 County of Northumberland into Cumberland. 



The old Castle or Peel of Staward, or Staworth, as it is also 

 called, stands out towards the River Alien on a rounded rookv 



