Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 3.djvu/91

Rh NORTHUMBERLAND. NORTHWIOJ3. Corbridge, Hexham, and Newcastle. The benefices in the county number about 135. Northumberland of Northumberland, and ho was succeeded by his son and heir Malcolm. In 1377 the title was bestowed on Henry Percy, and it has been held by members of that family for many generations, with the exception of John Nevill, Lord Montagu (1104), John Dudley, Earl of Warwick (1551), and George FitzRoy, son of Charles II. The present dukedom dates from 17CC. The principal seats in the county are Alnwick Castle, of the Duke of Northumberland, and one of the grandest historical mansions in the kingdom, restored in 1858 by the late duko to its pristine magnitude as a border castle ; Ford Castle, of the Marquis of Waterford ; Howick Hall, of Earl Grey ; Chillingham, of the Earl of Tankerville ; Gallowhill and I5olam House, of Lord Dccies ; Eslington Park, of Lord Ruvcnsworth ; Kiclder Castle, of the Duko of Northumberland ; Bcteay Hull, of Monok, Bart. ; Cap- heaton Hull, of Swinburne, Bart. ; Ewart Park, at Doddington, of St. Paul, Bart. ; Matfen Hall, of E. Blackett, Bart. ; Wellington Hall, of Trevelyan, Bart. ; Riding House, of Lord Charles Beauclerk ; Beaufront, of Cuthbert, Esq. ; Bclford, of Rev. J. D. Clarke ; Biddle- Jtone, of Walter Selby, Esq. ; Blenkinson, of Col. J. B. Coulson; By well Hall, of W. Blackett Beaumont, Esq., 11. P. ; Callaley Castle, of E. J. Clavcring, Esq.; Chesters House, of J. Clayton, Esq. ; Chipchase Castle, of Ralph W. Grey, Esq., M.P. ; Crastcr Tower, of T. W. Craster, Esq. ; Dissington Hall, of E. Collingwood, Esq. ; Gosforth House, of W. Smith, Esq. ; Harbottle Castle, of P. F. Clcnhell, Esq. ; Little Harley Tower, of T. Anderson, Esq. ; Heddon, of G. Burden, Esq. ; Hes- leyside, of W. H. Charlton, Esq. ; Kirkley Hall, of E. C. Ogle, II. A. ; Lilburn Tower, of E. J. Collingwood, Esq. ; Milburn Hall, of N. Bates, Esq. ; Minster Acres, of H. C. Silvertop, Esq. ; Mitford Castle, of Mrs. Osbaldeston ; Morwick Hall, of W. Linskill, Esq. ; Nunwick Hall, of Hunter Allgood, Esq. ; Pallinsburn House, of Watson Askew, Esq. ; Roddam, of W. Roddam, Esq. ; Shawdon, of W. J. Pawson, Esq. ; Swinburne Castle, of J. B. Coulson, Esq. ; Westwodd Hall, of Rev. L. S. Orde ; besides numerous other seats of landed gentry. The county is hunted by Lord Elcho's and the Tindale packs of hounds. The principal lines of railway are the Newcastle and Berwick, a branch of the Great Northern which connects these two towns, running parallel to the coast, and passing through Morpeth and Belford, with branches to Newsham and Alnwick ; the Berwick and Kelso line runs along the southern bank of the Tweed, leaving Northumberland near Carham ; the Newcastle and Carlisle follows the course of the Tyne from Tynemouth to Haltwhistle, where a branch line from Alstone Moor joins it, and another line leaves it at Hexham, and runs along the North Tyne into Scotland, passing Bellingham, from which town there is a lino recently constructed to Mor- peth, and thence to Bedlington and Tynemouth, with two branches to North Seaton and Blyth ; there is also a line from North Shields, joining the above at the Hartley Colliery. Another line is in contemplation, passing through the centre of the county near Rothbury and Wooler to join the Berwick and Kclso and Morpeth and Bellingham lines. The Edinburgh, road passes through Newcastle to Morpeth, and so through Alnwick and Belford to Berwick, 02 miles. Another road to Edinburgh runs from Newcastle through Loughasley, Edlingham, and Wooler to Berwick, with branches to r.iunxton and Kelso, 63 miles. A third road traverses the vale of the Reed, and another road passes by Ponte- land, Kirkharle, and Klsdon, to Kelso, S4 miles. The mad up the valley of the Tyne passes Heddon, Bywell, Borbridge, Ili'xon, and Haydon Bridge, to Haltwhistle, 35 miles. Tho road down the Tyno valley passes WalUend and Shields to Tynemouth, 8 miles. The Roman remains in this county are among the most interesting in the island, including those of the great wall, mentioned at the commencement of this article, and the forts by which it was defended, eighteen in number, but of these the sites of eleven only are within the county. There are remains of stations at Cousins House, or Wallsend (Segedtmum), Newcastle (Pans (Elii), Benwell Hill (Condercum), Halton Chesters (Vindobala), Rutchester (Hunnuni), Walwick Chesters (CUurmtm), Carrowburgh (Procolita), Housesteads (Boreoviauat), Little Chesters . ( Vindolana), Great Chesters (^Esica), Caervorau (Mayaa), Ebchester (Vindomora), Corbridgo (Oorttopitum), Risingham (Habitancum), Rochester (Ere- inenium), and Chew Green (Ad Fines). Of these remains the most perfect is that at Little Chesters, which covered a space of about 15 acres. There are traces of Roman camps at Whalton, Whitley Castle, near Kirkhaugh, Haltwhistle, Rosedon Edge, Kirknewton, Thirlwall Castle, Bolam, Bamborough, Belford, Rothbury, Callaley, Glanton Pike, Bewick Hill, Hardan, Cornhill, and other places. There are also Druidical remains at Ilderton and Humbledon, and a British ruin on Yevering Bell Mountain, near Wooler, which last deserves a more particular mention. It consists of a large cairn sur- rounded by a stone wall 8 feet thick on the summit of the mountain, while around and lower down the mountain are the remains of buildings of a circular form, and of a grove of oak trees. In the same neighbourhood, on Homildon Hill, is a stone pillar to commemorate tha battle fought there in 1402. The ruins of border castlea are very numerous. Of these Norhain and Wark on the banks of the Tweed are the most interesting. On the Till are Heton, Dudhowe, and Ford, the latter being still used as a residence. Prudhoe Castle, a seat of tha Percys, stands on a hill on the S. bank of the Tyne, near Ovingham. The keep and gate tower are still standing, but the remainder, including the chapel, is in ruins. In the same part of the county are Langloy Castle, near Hexham, and Featherstone, Thirlwall, Bellister, and Blenkinsop, near Haltwhistle. Along the coast are Bamborough, a structure of the highest antiquity, Dunstanborough, and Warkworth castles. Near Morpeth are Mitford, Bothal, Harnham, and Helsay castles. Others are Bellingham, Elsdon near Belliugham, Witton near Rothbury, now used as a parsonage, Staward le Peel, on the Allen, Willimotes- weck, Simonsburn, Fowberry, Kielder, Cockley, Ayden, Halton, Welton, Harbottle, Hepple, Edlingham, Lil- bourne, and Horton. Most of the large towns, as New- castle, Aluwick, Berwick, Morpeth, and Tynemouth, possessed castles, of which there are some remains, and of which a description will be found in the articles on those towns. Tho religious houses of which there are remains are the following: Blanchland Premonstraten- sian Abbey on the Derwent was founded in 1175; one of the towers is still used for the celebration of Divine service. There were also abbeys at Alnwick, Hulne, and Newminster, and priories at Brinckburn, near Rothbury, Tynemouth, and on Holy Island. On the banks of the Coquet at Warkworth there is a hermitage, consisting of two rooms and a chapel, cut out of tho rock. The churches at Hexham, Elsdon, Bolam, Heddon, Ponteland, and Seaton Dclaval are deserving of notice from their ago. NORTHUMBERLAND-HEATH, a hmlt. in the par. of Erith, hund. of Lessness, lathe of Sutton-at- Hone, co. Kent, 1J mile S.W. of Erith, and 4 miles E. of Woolwich. NORTHWAY AND NEWTON, a tythg. in the par. of Aschurch, lower div. of tho hund. of Tewkesbury, co. Gloucester, 2 miles N.E. of Towkesbury. NORTHWICH, a hund. in the co. of Chester, con- tains the towns of Congleton and Northwich, and the pars, of Brereton-cum-Smithwick, Church-Lawton, Da- venham, Swettenham, Warmingham, and parts of Ast- bury, Great Budworth, Middlewick, and Sandbach, comprising an area of 69,460 acres. NORTHWICH, a tnshp. and ancient market town in the chplry. of Wilton and par. of Great Budworth, hund. of Northwich, co. Chester, 11 miles S.E. of War- rington, and 2 N. by E. of Hartford station, on the