Newington-Bagpath (St. Bartholomew)
NEWINGTON-BAGPATH (St. Bartholomew), a
parish, in the union of Tetbury, Upper division of the
hundred of Berkeley, W. division of the county of
Gloucester, 4¾ miles (W. N. W.) from Tetbury; containing 278 inhabitants. It comprises by measurement
2122 acres. Stone for inferior buildings is quarried.
The living is a rectory, with the living of Owlpen annexed, valued in the king's books at £14, and in the gift
of Col. Kingscote: the tithes of the parish have been
commuted for £291, and the glebe comprises 46 acres.
The church is an ancient structure.
Newington-Next-Hythe (St. Nicholas)
NEWINGTON-NEXT-HYTHE (St. Nicholas), a
parish, in the union of Elham, hundred of Folkestone, lathe of Shepway, E. division of Kent, 2½
miles (N. E. by N.) from Hythe; containing 475 inhabitants. The parish comprises 3140a. 1r. 2p., of which
302 acres are in wood: the South-Eastern railway passes
through it, and the Grand Military canal intersects a
detached portion. From an eminence near the fine
mansion of Beachborough, is a noble prospect over the
adjacent country, and across the channel to the coast of
France. The living is a vicarage, united to the rectory
of Cheriton, and valued in the king's books at £7. 12. 6.;
impropriator, the Rev. W. Brockman. The impropriate
tithes have been commuted for £490, and the vicarial
for £235; the impropriate glebe contains 40 acres, and
the vicarial one acre and a half. The church is an embattled structure, partly in the decorated style. The
ancient chapel of St. Nicholas, every vestige of which
has disappeared, was famous as the resort of fishermen
to make offerings at the shrine of their patron saint, on
escaping imminent dangers at sea. Roman coins have
been dug up in the village; and in 1760, three human
skeletons, with beads of agate, some pebbles, glass, coral,
and red earth, were discovered in levelling a fence.
Newington, North
NEWINGTON, NORTH, a hamlet, in the parish of
Broughton, union of Banbury, hundred of Bloxham,
county of Oxford, 2¾ miles (W. by S.) from the town of
Banbury; containing 448 inhabitants.
Newington, South (St. Peter)
NEWINGTON, SOUTH (St. Peter), a parish, in
the union of Banbury, hundred of Wootton, county of
Oxford, 5¾ miles (S. W. by S.) from Banbury; containing 434 inhabitants. It comprises 1389 acres, of which
674 are arable, and 715 pasture; the soil is partly a
fine sandy loam, and partly a strong clay. The living is
a rectory, valued in the king's books at £8; net income,
£231; patrons, the Rector and Fellows of Exeter College, Oxford. The tithes were commuted for land and a
money payment in 1794. The church, which is situated
on an acclivity, has a stately embattled tower crowned
with pinnacles, and a beautiful south porch, also embattled and pinnacled.
Newington, Stoke (St. Mary)
NEWINGTON, STOKE (St. Mary), a parish, in
the union of Hackney, Finsbury division of the hundred of Ossulstone, county of Middlesex, 3 miles
(N. by E.) from London; containing 4490 inhabitants.
The village consists principally of a long street extending
from Kingsland-road to Stamford-hill, and forming a
portion of the road from the metropolis to Cambridge.
The eastern side of this thoroughfare is within the parish
of Hackney; and from the western side, near the centre, branches off a street leading to the church of Newington, and comprising the most agreeable part of the
village. These streets are paved, and lighted with gas;
and the inhabitants are supplied with water from the
New River, which pursues a serpentine course through
the parish, and near which are a continuous line of respectable private houses, and several detached residences.
Among the latter is a modern mansion close to the
church, the grounds around which, on the bank of the
stream, are laid out with much taste; and numerous
good houses have been erected of late years in Parkstreet, Albion-road, and other parts. Here are some
extensive nursery-gardens. The trade of the place depends on the supply of the population, and on its situation as a thoroughfare. The New River Company have
a large reservoir and a steam-engine in the parish.
The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at
£10; net income, £438; patron, the Bishop of London.
The church is a handsome edifice, built by William
Patten, lessee of the manor in 1563, and since repeatedly
enlarged; considerable alterations were made a few
years ago, a new gallery was erected, and a spire added.
It contains several good monuments. There are places
of worship for the Society of Friends, Independents, and
Unitarians. To the north of Church-street and west of
the principal thoroughfare, is the Abney-Park public
cemetery; in the centre of the grounds is a handsome
chapel, and the cemetery contains a monument to Dr.
Watts, by Mr. Baily, the sculptor, erected by subscription in 1845: the grounds of Sir Thomas Abney's mansion are comprised in the burial-ground. Near the
Friends' meeting-house, which is a handsome building,
are almshouses for ten widows, founded and endowed
under the will of Michael Yoakley, in 1835. A brick
gateway with a pointed arch, on the north side of Churchstreet, is the only part now standing of the buildings
belonging to the old manor-house. Near the church is
a walk between trees, called Queen Elizabeth's walk; and
at Newington resided her favourite, Robert Dudley,
Earl of Leicester, and his contemporary, Edward Vere,
Earl of Oxford. Dr. Isaac Watts, the eminent poet and
dissenting divine, having passed the last 30 years of his
life at the mansion of Sir Thomas Abney, died here
November 25th, 1748. Among other residents in the
parish were, the republican general, Fleetwood; Daniel
Defoe, author of Robinson Crusoe; Adam Anderson, who
wrote the History of Commerce; Thomas Day, author of
the History of Sandford and Merton, and other popular
productions; Howard, the philanthropist; Dr. John
Aikin, compiler of the General Biography; and his sister,
the celebrated Mrs. Barbauld.
Newland
NEWLAND, a liberty, in the parish of Hurst, union
of Workingham, hundred of Sonning, county of Berks,
3¾ miles (W. by S.) from the town of Wokingham; containing 276 inhabitants.
Newland (All Saints)
NEWLAND (All Saints), a parish, in the union of
Monmouth, hundred of St. Briavell's, W. division of
the county of Gloucester; containing, with the chapelries of Bream, Clearwell, and Coleford, and the tything of Lea-Bailey, 4127 inhabitants, of whom 627 are in
the tything of Newland, 4 miles (S. E. by S.) from
Monmouth. The parish is bounded on the west by the
navigable river Wye, and comprises by computation
8000 acres, the soil of which rests on limestone: the
surface is strikingly diversified; the hills in some parts
have an elevation of 800 feet above the sea, and the
valleys are watered by numerous rapid rivulets. Redbrook, formerly the site of the earliest copper-smelting
furnaces in England, is now celebrated for the manufacture of tin plates, of which from 400 to 500 boxes are
produced weekly; there is also an iron-foundry. In
these works about 120 men are constantly employed.
Coal and iron-ore are obtained in the neighbouring
Forest of Dean, and stone of good quality for building is
extensively quarried. Facility of conveyance is afforded
by the Wye, which flows up to Redbrook; by the tramroads from Coleford to Monmouth; and by numerous
tramroads from various parts of the Forest to Gloucester
and other places. The living is a discharged vicarage,
valued in the king's books at £18. 6. 10½.; patron and
appropriator, the Bishop of Llandaff: the vicarial tithes
have been commuted for £525. The church is a large
structure, with a handsome tower ornamented by pinnacles and open-worked battlements. There are chapels
of ease at Clearwell and Redbrook; and chapels, forming separate incumbencies, at Coleford and Bream. The
Baptists and Wesleyans have places of worship. Adjoining the churchyard are, a free school, and an almshouse for four persons of each sex, both founded by Edward Bell, who in 1651 endowed them with an annuity
of £20: the income, with subsequent donations, has been
raised to upwards of £180. Almshouses for 8 aged men
and 8 women were founded in 1615, by the family of
Jones, who also endowed a lectureship with £68 per
annum. The remains of High-Meadow House, which
was garrisoned by the troops of Charles I. when the
parliament had possession of Gloucester, are still visible
here. In Birchamp is a spring of water which in purity
is not inferior to St. Ann's well at Malvern.
Newland, a township, in the chapelry of Egton, Lancashire.—See Egton.
NEWLAND, a township, in the chapelry of Egton,
Lancashire.—See Egton.
Newland (St. Leonard)
NEWLAND (St. Leonard), a parish, in the union
of Upton-upon-Severn, Lower division of the hundred
of Pershore, Upton and W. divisions of the county of
Worcester, 5¾ miles (S. W.) from Worcester; containing 143 inhabitants. This place was a grange or farm
belonging to the priory of Malvern. The parish consists
of 850 acres, and is intersected by the road from Worcester to Ledbury. The living is a perpetual curacy;
net income, £60; patron, the Vicar of Malvern. The
impropriation belongs to the Rev. Edward Woodyatt.
Newland
NEWLAND, a hamlet, in the parish of Cottingham, union of Sculcoates, Hunsley-Beacon division of
the wapentake of Harthill, E. riding of York, 2 miles
(N. N. W.) from Hull. This place is on the road from
Hull to Beverley, and is bounded on the north-east by
the navigable river Hull; the surface is level, interspersed
with plantations, and the soil a strong clay. A brick
and tile manufactory employs a number of persons. The
land is mostly divided into small dairy-farms. A chapel,
dedicated to St. John, was erected in 1833, at an expense of £1606, inclusive of £326 for the site, the whole
raised by subscription, aided by a grant of £240 from
the Incorporated Society; it was consecrated on the
7th November. There is a place of worship for Methodists.
Newland
NEWLAND, an extra-parochial liberty, in the Lower
division of the wapentake of Agbrigg, W. riding of
York, 3 miles (N. E.) from Wakefield; containing, with
Woodhouse Moor, 55 inhabitants. An old chapel here,
near the mansion-house, was taken down about 60 years
since. Courts leet and baron are annually held, under
the styles of "the Court Leet of our Sovereign Lady the
Queen," and "the Great Court Baron of the Manor of
Newland cum Woodhouse Moor." The manor was parcel
of the possessions of the Knights Hospitallers, who in
the reign of John established a commandery here, eventually valued at £202. 3. 8. per annum.
Newland
NEWLAND, a township, in the parish of Drax,
union of Selby, Lower division of the wapentake of
Barkstone-Ash, W. riding of York, 4½ miles (N. E.
by E.) from Snaith; containing 305 inhabitants. It is
situated on the north bank of the Aire, near its confluence with the Ouse; and comprises 2195a. 1r. 27p. of
productive land, including the hamlet of Little Armin,
and the small island of Hasleby, consisting of about ten
acres encompassed by the Ouse.
Newlands
NEWLANDS, a chapelry, in the parish of Crosthwaite, union of Cockermouth, Allerdale ward
above Derwent, W. division of Cumberland, 5 miles
(S. W. by W.) from Keswick; containing 133 inhabitants. This place was formerly celebrated for its valuable mines of copper, which, from the great proportion
of gold and silver they contained, were claimed as royal
property in the reign of Elizabeth, who instituted against
the Earl of Northumberland, on whose lordship they
were discovered, a suit at law, which was decided in
favour of the crown. The mines were destroyed, and
most of the workmen killed, during the parliamentary
war; and the ruins of smelting-houses and other buildings connected with the ancient works may still be
traced on the banks of the river Bure. Immense quantities of lead-ore have also been raised in the neighbourhood, though the mines are at present comparatively
unproductive; a quarry of fine slate for roofing has
been opened, and at Stairs is a mill for carding wool.
The village of Little Town is seated under a mountainous
elevation, which from November till February precludes
it from the rays of the sun. A fair for sheep is held on
the first Friday in September. The living is a perpetual
curacy; net income, £80; patron, the Vicar of Crosthwaite. The chapel is situated near the village. There
is a place of worship for Wesleyans.
Newlands
NEWLANDS, a hamlet, in the district of Riddings,
parish of Alfreton, union of Belper, hundred of
Scarsdale, N. division of the county of Derby; containing 117 inhabitants. It lies about 4 miles southsouth-east of Alfreton, and abounds in coal and ironstone, like the other parts of the parish. The place is
charged with the payment of £12. 8. 8. annually to a
school at Ashford, in this county.
Newlands
NEWLANDS, a township, in the parish of Bywell
St. Peter, union of Hexham, E. division of Tindale
ward, S. division of Northumberland, 12½ miles (S.
E. by E.) from Hexham; containing 168 inhabitants.
It is situated on the borders of the county of Durham,
between the township of Whittonstall and the river Derwent, and is the property of Greenwich Hospital. The
Roman Watling-street passes on the north.
Newland-Side
NEWLAND-SIDE, a township, in the parish of
Stanhope, union of Weardale, N. W. division of
Darlington ward, S. division of the county of Durham, 1½ mile (S. W.) from Stanhope; containing 347
inhabitants. This place, with Bishopley and Frosterley,
constitutes a quarter in the parish, comprising about
9820 acres of land, in the vale of the Wear. At Bollihope is a smelting-house for lead-ore.
Newlay
NEWLAY, a hamlet, partly in the chapelry of
Horsforth, parish of Guiseley, Upper division of
Skyrack wapentake, and partly in the chapelry of
Bramley, parish of St. Peter, Leeds, W. riding of
York, 5 miles (W. N. W.) from Leeds. It is beautifully
situated in the valley of the river Aire, over which a
cast-iron bridge was constructed in 1819, by the late
J. Pollard, Esq., at an expense of £1500. The woollen
manufacture is carried on here, in a spacious mill called
St. Helen's, and there are two large dye-houses.
Newlyn (St. Newlyn)
NEWLYN (St. Newlyn), a parish, in the union of
St. Columb Major, hundred of Pyder, W. division of
Cornwall, 8 miles (N.) from Truro; containing 1451
inhabitants. This parish was anciently the occasional
residence of the bishops of Exeter, who had a palace at
Cargol, and one of whom in 1312 obtained the grant of
a market for Newlyn, which is now discontinued, and
of a fair, which is still held on November 8th. The area
of the parish is 7371 acres, of which 2273 are common
and waste land; the surface is hilly, and in parts intersected with deep valleys. The prevailing timber is oak
and elm, of which there are some stately trees in the
grounds of Trerice, the seat of Sir T. D. Acland, a handsome Elizabethan mansion formerly belonging to Lord
Arundel. The substratum is rich in mineral wealth;
here is a lead-mine called East Wheat Rose, one of the
most valuable in the county, in which about 40 ounces
of silver are found in one ton of ore. The petty-sessions
for the West division of the hundred are held in the village. The living is a vicarage, valued in the king's books
at £16. 13. 4.; patron, the Bishop of Exeter; impropriator, J. Hawkins, Esq. The great tithes have been
commuted for £755; and the vicarial for £470, with a
glebe of 9 acres. The church is a spacious structure,
with a lofty embattled tower crowned by pinnacles; it
has undergone much repair, and been partly rebuilt.
There is a place of worship for Wesleyans; also a national school with a small endowment. In the parish
are some chalybeate springs: on the downs in the vicinity are several barrows.
Newlyn
NEWLYN, a hamlet, in the parish of Paul, union of
Penzance, W. division of the hundred of Penwith and
of the county of Cornwall, ½ a mile (S. W.) from Penzance; containing 1218 inhabitants. This place, which
is situated on the western shore of Mount's bay in the
English Channel, was of much importance previously to
its being burnt by the Spaniards in 1595. It is still a
very considerable village, with one principal thoroughfare nearly half a mile in length, from which several
smaller streets branch off in various directions. The
harbour is commodious, and accessible to vessels of 100
tons' burthen, which may ride in safety; it is chiefly
frequented by the seine-boats and others employed in
the pilchard and mackerel fisheries, which are carried on
here and at Mousehole, also in the parish, to a greater
extent than on any other part of the coast of Cornwall.
There are 300 boats engaged in the fisheries belonging
to the port; and not less than 200 cellars are used for
the curing of pilchards, of which immense numbers are
taken during the season, beginning in July, and ending
in October. The mackerel are in high repute, and the
London market is supplied with them during the early
part of the season, by way of Portsmouth. The coast
abounds also with turbot, dories, mullet, cod, ling, haddock, pullings, whitings, soles, plaice, bream, congers,
crayfish, lobsters, and crabs. Not far from the village,
on the road to Mousehole, is a four-gun battery for the
defence of the coast, and near it a furnace for heating
shot. A large brewery is carried on. There are a church
dedicated to St. Peter, and places of worship for Independents and Wesleyans.
Newmarket
NEWMARKET, the head of a union, and a markettown, comprising the parish of St. Mary in the hundred
of Lackford, W. division of Suffolk, and the parish
of All Saints in the hundred of Cheveley, county of
Cambridge, 13 miles (N. E. by E.) from Cambridge,
and 61 (N. N. E.) from London, on the road to Norwich;
the whole containing 2956 inhabitants, of whom 2143
are in Suffolk. The earliest account of this town has
reference to the year 1227, when it is supposed to have
derived its name from a market then recently established, which is said to have been removed hither, on
account of the plague raging at Exning, a village about
two miles distant. In the time of Edward III. the place
gave name to Thomas Merks or de novo Mercatu, Bishop
of Carlisle, who was probably a native. A house called
the King's house, was built here by James I., for the
purpose of enjoying the diversion of hunting; and the
subsequent reputation of the town for horse-racing
seems to have arisen from the spirit and swiftness of
some Spanish horses, which having been wrecked with
the vessels of the Armada on the coast of Galloway,
were brought hither. Its celebrity greatly increased in
the reign of Charles II., who rebuilt and enlarged the
King's house, which had fallen into decay during the
civil war, and who frequently honoured the races with
his presence. On the 22nd of March, 1683, being the
time of the races, the King, Queen, and Duke of York
were present; but a sudden conflagration compelled
them to return hastily to London, to which event some
writers have attributed the defeat of the Rye-house plot.
By this fire a great part of the town was destroyed, the
damage being estimated at £20,000. A second fire
happened about the beginning of the last century. At
the close of the civil war, Charles I. was removed on
the 9th of June, 1647, from the house of Lady Cutts, of
Childerley, to Newmarket, where he remained about ten
days.
The town consists principally of one street, the north
side of which is in the county of Suffolk, and the south
in that of Cambridge; the houses are modern and well
built, and some of them, erected for the occasional residence of visiters, are handsome: the inhabitants are
supplied with water from springs. Coffee-houses, and
billiard and other rooms, are kept for persons attending
the races. The race-course and training-ground are
the finest in the kingdom: the former is on a grassy
heath near the town, and extends in length four miles;
the training-ground is more than a mile and a half long,
on a gentle acclivity, and admirably adapted to keep the
horses in wind. The races are held seven times in the
year, and are distinguished as the Craven meeting, commencing on the Monday in Easter-week; the first and
second spring meetings, the former on the Tuesday
fortnight following, and the latter a fortnight afterwards; the July meeting; the first and second October
meetings, and the third October or Houghton meeting,
the first of these three commencing on the Monday preceding the first Thursday in that month. The Queen
gives two plates annually. The palace erected by King
James has been sold, and part of it converted into shops.
The additional structure by King Charles is standing:
part of it was the residence of the late Duke of York
during the meetings, and is now occupied by the Duke of
Rutland; the remainder, with its extensive stables, is
held under the authority of the crown. The training of
race-horses is a source of extensive profit, some of the
finest horses in the world being exported, at exceedingly
high prices. About 400 are here during the greater part
of the year. An act was passed in 1846 for effecting
railway communication with Cambridge, and with Chesterford, in Essex; the line was opened in the autumn
of 1847. The market, which was granted or confirmed
in 1227, is held on Tuesday; and there are fairs on
Whit-Tuesday and Nov. 8th, the latter fair being largely
supplied with cattle, horses, corn, butter, cheese, hops,
&c. The county magistrates preside at petty-sessions,
every Tuesday; and a court leet is held occasionally.
The powers of the county debt-court of Newmarket, established in 1847, extend over nearly the whole of the
registration-district of Newmarket.
The living of St. Mary's is a discharged rectory, with
the vicarage of Wood-Ditton consolidated, valued in the
king's books at £4. 15. 2½.; net income, £375; patron
and impropriator, the Duke of Rutland. The church is
a handsome structure, with a tower and spire. The
living of All Saints' is a perpetual curacy; net income,
£100; patron, the Bishop of Ely. There is a place of
worship for Independents. Queen Anne gave a donation
of £50 per annum for the institution of free schools, but
a national school having been established, the boys on
that sovereign's foundation are instructed in it free.
The union of Newmarket comprises twenty-nine parishes
or places, twenty-two of which are in the county of
Cambridge, and seven in that of Suffolk, altogether containing a population of 27,383. About a mile and a
half from the town is a remarkable embankment, raised
by means of excavation at one side, and called the
"Devil's Dyke," extending nearly in a straight line for
seven miles, and being in some places above one hundred feet in width. This work, unquestionably of remote
antiquity, has been attributed to the Britons anterior to
the time of Cæsar, and by some to Uffa, the first king of
the East Angles. It formerly served for the boundary
between the dioceses of Norwich and Ely, and is still
the boundary of the several parishes that touch upon
it. Several Roman coins were found near Newmarket
heath, in 1750; and in 1836, three urns, evidently of
Roman workmanship, containing ashes of the dead, were
discovered.
New-Mill
NEW-MILL, an ecclesiastical district, in the parish
of Kirk-Burton, union of Huddersfield, Upper division of the wapentake of Agbrigg, W. riding of York,
6 miles (E.) from Huddersfield, on the road to Sheffield.
A church dedicated to Christ was erected in 1830, by
the Parliamentary Commissioners, at an expense of
£4000; it is a handsome structure in the later English
style, with a square embattled tower crowned by pinnacles, and contains 1120 sittings, of which 500 are free.
The living is a perpetual curacy, in the patronage of the
Vicar of Kirk-Burton, with an income of £150. There
is a place of worship for Wesleyans; and a national
and an infants' school are supported.
New-Mills
NEW-MILLS, a township and manufacturing district, in the parish of Glossop, union of Hayfield,
hundred of High Peak, N. division of the county of
Derby, 8 miles (E. S. E.) from Stockport, and 170
(N. W. by N.) from London; comprising the hamlets of
Beard, Ollersett, Thornsett, and Whittle, and containing
3595 inhabitants. It is situated on the north bank of
the Guyt, and reaches from Kinder-Scout to Mellor.
Formerly, the inhabitants were accustomed to grind
their corn at a common mill in Hayfield; but about a
century since, when the township was formed, a mill was
erected upon the river Kinder, in the hamlet of Ollersett,
and the name of New-Mills was, in consequence, conferred on the township, the inhabitants of which ground
their corn here. The appellation is more definitely
applied to a cluster of factories and houses, which rise
one above another from the brink of the river to the
summit of the Crags, a height of several hundred feet,
and also extend along the turnpike-road, as far as London
Place: the whole is lighted with gas. The Kinder
derives its source from the mountain of Kinder-Scout,
and, separating the county of Derby from that of Chester, falls into the river Guyt at a place called the Tor.
The original branches of manufacture in the district
were those of paper and cloth, which have been superseded by cotton, calico-printing, and bleaching works,
&c.: coal-mines abound in the neighbourhood, which
contains also some veins of lead-ore. The township
comprises by measurement 5030 acres, of which 4345
are meadow and pasture, 360 arable, and 199 woodland:
the soil is various; some small plantations, in different
districts, add to the picturesque scenery of the neighbourhood. The great tithes have been commuted for
£92. 10., and the vicarial for £15. A local subscription
amounting to £1000 having been raised towards the erection of a district church, the sum of £2500 was granted by
the Parliamentary Commissioners in aid of the expense,
and a piece of ground was given by Lord George Cavendish, for the site. The church is a handsome structure
in the pointed style, with a nave, chancel, and aisles, and
contains 500 free sittings: it is dedicated to St. George.
The living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £150;
patron, the Vicar of Glossop; impropriator, Earl Fitzwilliam. There are places of worship for Independents,
Wesleyans, and Primitive Methodists; and the Roman
Catholics have a chapel in the decorated style, a perfect
revival of an ancient parish church. Several bequests
have been made for instruction, and for distribution
among the poor.
Newminster-Abbey
NEWMINSTER-ABBEY, a township, in the parish
and union of Morpeth, partly in the W. division of
Morpeth ward, N. division, and partly in the W.
division of Castle ward, S. division, of the county of
Northumberland; the whole containing 107 inhabitants. In the year 1138, a colony of Cistercian monks
having come to Morpeth Castle from Fountains, in
Yorkshire, at the invitation of Ranulph de Merlay, lord
of Morpeth, he built an abbey for them here, and endowed it with all the lands of this township, and other
considerable property. It was not long before the tide
of popularity and religious enthusiasm rendered the
community one of the richest in the county. Besides
the gifts of succeeding barons of Morpeth, many were
received from the Bertrams of Mitford, the barons of
Bolam and Bolbeck, and the families of Umfraville,
Widdrington, Fenwick, Plessis, &c. The site chosen for
the abbey (which was dedicated to the Virgin) was very
beautiful, in a secluded valley, the rising hills warding
off the cold blasts from the east and north, and opening
to admit the warm southern sun; the neighbouring
stream produced abundance of fish, and an offset
from it encircled the walls and turned a mill, while
the fertility of the demesne lands yielded a plentiful
supply of corn, which was stored in an adjoining grange.
The abbot was often summoned to the parliaments of
Edward I.; and Edward II. and III. dated many documents hence. Of this once magnificent structure, there
only remains the north doorway of the church: the
revenue at the Dissolution was £140. The township is situated on the north and south of the river
Wansbeck, adjoining the town of Morpeth, and is
intersected by the road to Elsdon. It comprises 717a.
2r. 10p., of which 397 acres are arable, 212 pasture, and
the remainder wood, &c. The soil is of various qualities,
gravelly near the river, but generally a good strong clay,
well adapted to the growth of wheat; the surface is
hilly, and the scenery beautifully interspersed with trees
of large dimensions, particularly beech, which are of
remarkable height near the ruin of the abbey. Two
handsome bridges have been built over the Wansbeck,
by subscription.