to form the most picturesque scenery imaginable. This hall was long the family residence of the Lisles, which is now transferred to Acton House. It is, however, still inhabited, and the gardens are kept in tolerable repair; but the exterior of both exhibit the innovations of time.

BRINKBURN, HIGH AND LOW WARD, is now annexed to the chapelry of Longframlington. Brinkburn extends about three miles in length, and two in breadth, and lies on both sides of the Coquet. The lands are in general very fertile, and a valuable seam of excellent coal extends over the greater part. It is also rich in limestone, which forms so necessary an article in the improved system of agriculture. Both coal and lime works are carried on very briskly. A new road has lately been opened, which leads westward from Weldon Bridge, and joins the old Rothbury road at Brinkburn New Houses. The colliery stands between the latter place and the river.

BRINKBURN PRIORY is distant 9 miles north-west from Morpeth, 3 miles west by south from Felton, and above 4 miles south-east of Rothbury. It is most delightfully situate in a deep vale, on a small peninsula formed by the meandering Coquet, part of the walls being washed by its waters. The opposite, or southern shore, is bounded by a semicircular and lofty ridge of shaggy rocks, mantled with ivy, and beautifully overhung with a variety of fine trees, plants, and shrubs. On the north, it is surrounded with steep and verdant banks, whereby the structure is concealed and out-topped on all sides, and can only be approached by a slant cut through the rock on the west side, or by following the bed of the river on the east.*

A great part of this venerable pile has been demolished; and its church, which was in the cathedral form, has shared in the devastation. The square tower of the church, a small spire, many noble pillars and arches, and some of its side-walls, with the dormitory belonging to the priory, are the principal remains. These vestiges of monastic grandeur (some of which are yet entire), and a large group of mouldering fragments, richly varied with the tints of time, being adjoined by Brinkburn Park and other forests of fine wood, make a picture inexpressibly charming, especially when viewed with the light and shade received from a western sun. Its recluse situation; the ex

treme stillness, undisturbed, except by the birds, and the murmurs of the Coquet; fragments of sepulchral monuments; the gloomy shade of the venerable ivy and the evergreens, with which the ruins, in many parts, are crowned and overgrown; give a solemnity to the place, and display an agreeable combination of objects impressively grand and picturesque, inspiring the beholder with a contemplative melancholy, oftentimes pleasing as well as proper to indulge.

Mr. Grose observes, that "these ruins exhibit one among the many instances wherein circular and pointed arches occur in the same building, and that in parts manifestly constructed at the same time; which shews, that about the period of its erection, there was a kind of struggle between the ancient mode or Saxon, and what is called Gothic architecture; in which neither style then thoroughly prevailed. The upper range of windows in this church are all circular; those immediately under

* "On our approach by the ancient causeway, the first view we had of it, within the distance of 150 yards, was from such an eminence, and so immediately above it, that we looked into the interior parts of the ruins. This is the most melancholy and deep solitude, chosen for a religious edifice, I ever yet visited."-Hutchinson

them are pointed. Two doors, one on the north, the other on the south, have circular arches (of various members, falling back, supported on pilasters), richly adorned with a variety of Saxon ornaments, particularly that on the north, which has, among others, the heads of animals. These are generally deemed the most ancient decorations of that style. The great tower has four pointed arches, and others of the same shape are supported by massy octagonal pillars in the body of the church. There have been burials here as late as the year 1745. At the east end, and in the north and south crosses, were chapels; in one of which are divers fragments of coffins and human bones. On the whole, though this building, except about the doors, is remarkably plain, it has a sober and solemn majesty, not always found in buildings more highly decorated. Part of this, perhaps, it may owe to its romantic situation, which is the most proper in the world for retirement and meditation." In clearing away the rubbish some years ago, a circular staircase, communicating with the body of the church, was laid open, and vaults for interment, formed like the kistvaen, discovered. The shell of this ancient church was occasionally used, until the end of the last century, both for nuptial and sepulchral purposes. Above 60 years ago, a plan was proposed for repairing a part of the building for the performance of divine service, and a brief was obtained for that end; but the subscription, though liberal, seems to have been applied to other purposes.

Near the south-west angle of the church stands a house, which some suppose to have been built out of the ruins of the offices belonging to the monastry; but others, with great probability, imagine, that this building is the remains of a range of houses, which were erected on the brink of the river about the time that the monastry was founded: they observe, that there is a subterraneous communication between these abodes and the priory, for the conveniency of the canons; and that the whole cluster of buildings must have suffered in one common conflagration, after which this house seems to have been repaired from the ruins of the others. It was again falling rapidly into ruin, when the late Mr. Hetherington begun a complete repair, which was finished by Major Hodgson.

In removing some ruins from the offices attached to this structure, some mutilated mouldings, urns, &c. were discovered; but no inscriptions which might elucidate the history of this sacred retreat. From a variety of circumstances, it seems to possess claims to a very high antiquity; and Brinkburn Grove* was probably devoted to the worship of Jupiter, ere the Christian priests, in this secluded retreat, had begun their holy vespers to the Blessed Virgin.†

* There is a tradition in Northumberland, that Brinkburn was surrounded by a thick wood, which in summer obscured the rays of the sun at noon-day, and rendered all approach, except by the river, impracticable. So completely was the monastry concealed, that a party of Scottish Borderers endeavoured in vain to discover it, until the canons, supposing that they had retreated, rung the bell. Their enemies marked the direction from whence the sound proceeded, and cutting a way through the wood, entered the monastry while the priests were at prayers, and, after pillaging the holy fabric, set it on fire, with all its appendages.-Mr. Wallis says (but does not state his authority) that the bell of the church was removed to the cathedral at Durham.

+ On this subject a learned correspondent offers the following remarks ;-"The branch of Watling-street, or Devil's Causeway, that takes an easterly direction from Portgate, crosses the river Coquet a little below Brinkburn Priory. The remains of the piers of the Roman bridge are perfectly distinct when the river is

Brinkburn Priory was founded in the reign of king Henry I. and dedicated to St. Peter, by William de Bertram, baron of Mitford, with the approbation of his wife and his three sons. He placed therein black canons, or canons regular, of the order of St. Augustin, from the monastry de Insula, Osbertus Colutarius being Superior, and endowed it with lands out of his wastes, confirmed both by his wife Hawys, and Roger his eldest son and heir. He, moreover, gave to it Thornhaugh, Forderhaugh, Papwithhaugh (Pauperhaugh), Over-Helsy, and Nether-Helsy, with the woods belonging to them; also a wood to the east of Helsy, extending from Linkburn to the river Coquet; and to these gifts he added that of an annual present of twenty fishes out of his fishery at Coquet. His son Roger gave it 140 acres of his waste lands in Evenwood, with a share of his wastes near Framlington; also liberty to cut timber out of his woods for necessary uses, with the privilege of killing game. Prince Henry of Scotland, earl of Northumberland, gave to it a salt-work at Warkworth: he and his son, William de Warren, of the family of the Earls Warren, by his mother's side, and named after them, confirmed to it all its possessions and privileges: these were also confirmed by several royal charters. Half of the manor of Netherterwhit (Low Trewhit) belonged to it, with the appropriations, and advowson of Felton. Ralph Lord Graystock, at the instance of Johanna his mother, gave also the impropriation and advowson of Long Horsley to this priory, in the 8th year of the reign of king Richard II. The convent, in return, agreed, that she and her heirs, lords of Morpeth, for ever should have the nomination of one canon there; and Allan, son of John de Prestwick, was the first nominee under that power. William Hogeston was the last prior. In the year 1477, on the 20th of September, being the fourth year of the pontificate of William Dudley, lxvis. viijd. was paid to the prior of Brinkburn, the bishop's suffragan, proregardo suo. At the time of the suppression of religious houses, there were ten canons here, and the revenue was estimated by Dugdale at £68, 19s. 1d. and by Speed at £77.

Brinkburn was granted to John Earl of Warwick, 4 king Edward VI. In the same reign it came into the possession of George Fenwick, Esq. of the ancient family of the Fenwicks of Fenwick Tower. He was a commissioner for inclosures upon the Middle Marches. During the reign of king Charles I. it belonged to George Fenwick, Esq. "son of another George, and grandson of Tristram Fenwick,* a cadet of low, particularly the ashler work on the north side, covered with elm trees; and on the hill above the priory are evident traces of a Roman villa a few yards from the military way, the rampart and ditch across the neck of land being very apparent; likewise the foundations of houses and lines of the street. But undoubtedly the stones had been all used for building the priory; though I have never heard of any Roman antiquities being found amongst the ruins."

* The act of attainder that followed the northern rebellion in the reign of queen Elizabeth, includes the following Northumbrian names:-Tristram Fenwick of Brinkburne (a younger son of the house of East Heddon), from whose grandson, Colonel Fenwick of Brinkburne, the Williamsons inherit their estates at Monkwearmouth; Cuthbert Armour of Belford, gent. whose descendants, however, preserved their property to sacrifice it in the cause of Charles I.; Robert Collingwood, gent. of Abberwick; Robert Collingwood of Etall, gent.; and George Horsley of Acklington Park, gent. Saddler's letters also mention, as engaged in the rebellion, "Tony Schaftoe and Ogle;" both of them names too extensive in Northumberland to admit of identifying the individuals. The latter was perhaps Gregory Ogle of Choppington, whose lands are accounted for in a list of confiscations printed in the appendix to Saddler's papers.-Surtees' Dur. vol. i. p.