woody vale by the river Tyne; once a bishop’s see: the church dedicate
to St. Andrew by the great Wilfred, who was the occasion of bringing my
native country of Mercia to embrace christianity: he founded the priory
of St. Leonard’s, between Stamford and Uffington, the first of the
kingdom of Mercia: part of the church of his building remains, though
turned into a barn: he built St. Peter’s church in Stamford, the first
church there.
By Mr. Gale’s persuasion I wrote the whole _primordia_ of Stamford,
which I have by me. At Tickencote, hard by, is the most venerable
church antiquity extant, the intire oratory of prince Peada, who
founded Peterborough abbey. But return we to Hexam.
The cathedral is a large, lofty structure; but the body or west end,
and the two towers, are intirely demolished: it was collegiate: a
great building, called the College. Between it and the church are
cloisters, now a garden. In the choir two knightly monuments of stone
cross-legged; by the arms on their shields, Vernon and Umfrevile; they
either went a warfare into the Holy Land, or vowed it: a tomb of one of
the Northumbrian kings: two oratories over sepultures unknown: a tomb
of a woman with a veil over her eyes.
Here has been much old-fashioned painting, upon wainscot and stucco,
of bishops, saints, kings and queens; but, to the loss of history,
defaced. This town was undoubtedly Roman. We judged the _castrum_ was
where the castellated building now stands, east of the market-place;
which is the brow of a hill, and has a good prospect. The market-place,
which is a square, lies between this and the cathedral.
On the site of the cathedral once stood a Roman temple. Digging for a
foundation of a buttress to be built on the west side of the steeple,
they opened a vault, which descends under the church to a subterraneous
oratory, like that under the cupola of St. Peter’s at Rome, called
_limina apostolorum_. Here I suppose were kept the reliques of saints.
This place is built out of the ruins of the temple. Over the inward
entrance to the vault is laid flat a fine Roman inscription; the report
of which led us down thither, though the passage to it was as bad as
that of Poole’s hole, Derbyshire. We found it a noble large stone of
the emperors Pertinax and Aurelius: we could not transcribe the whole,
because part of it is still within the wall. Over the next door lower
down, a large stone is set perpendicular, and half of it cut away, in
nature of an arch: the mouldings likewise chopped off; the whole so
defaced, that nothing to any purpose could be made out of it, all the
words being imperfect. Upon the walls of the crypt we saw many Roman
fragments of mouldings, and carved work, with bits of fluted and cabled
pilasters.
In searching about the oratory we found a very fine altar almost
intire, laid sideways into the very foundation. We dug away the earth
and bones underneath, and discovered thereby a new _Legatus Augusti Q.
Calpurnius Concessinius_; and a new troop of horse in Britain, of which
he was the captain, the _equites Cæsareani Corionototarum_.
The ground-plot of this town is much like that of Caster in
Lincolnshire; four streets going diagonally from the angles of the
market-place. Some silver and other Roman coins were found not long
since near the church. This church is a very venerable and noble Saxon
structure, and may serve for a specimen of the manner of raising those
fabrics at that time of day. The workmen were but lately then brought
from Rome, by the great Benedict bishop of Weremouth, who may truly be
called the Arundel of that time: he was a nobleman of Northumberland,
minister to king Oswy: he travelled to Rome twice, some say five times;
and brought home a fine collection of books, of which the venerable
Bede made so good use: he also brought hither architects and artificers
in building, carving, painting on glass, and the like; so injurious
are the notions of some modern antiquaries, who think we had no stone
buildings before the Norman kings.
Our Wilfred was likewise a great genius: he travelled first to Rome
in Benedict’s retinue: he was a great promoter of building cathedrals
and religious houses: besides this of Hexam, he rebuilt that of York,
before raised by Paulinus: he built a cathedral in the old Roman city
of _Cambodunum_, Almondbury, in Yorkshire: he built Rippon cathedral:
he had a great hand in founding the cathedrals of Peterborough,
Ely, Litchfield, Leicester, and Chichester. He died in a good old
age, 12 Oct. anno Dom. 709, in his little monastery at Oundle,
Northamptonshire: the room still remains, and the church in ruins, but
later than his time.
The _Corionototarum_, in the inscription, is probably the
_Coriolopocarium_ in _anonymus Ravennas_; as Mr. Gale conjectures: and
I add, probably it was the neighbouring Corbridge.
The Roman castle was situate near the present Corbridge westward, and
on the northern banks of the river: it is called Corchester. They tell
us with some sort of wonder, that it is the richest and best hereabouts
for ploughing: they discern not that it is owing to the animal salts
left in a place that had been long inhabited. Corbridge is built out
of its ruins, which are scattered about there in every house. Before
the doors we saw many mills, pieces of shafts of pillars, capitals,
bases, many pieces of basso relievo, and carvings: a fine large picture
of Victory, holding a great _parma_, which belonged to the horse: two
carvings of lions tearing bulls; their heads knocked off: several bits
of inscriptions. The foot of the cross in the market-place is an intire
Roman altar, of a large size; the inscription worn out: on one side,
the head of a goat; a pitcher on the other. In the outer wall of the
chancel is a fragment of the fourth cohort of the second legion. In the
church-yard is the remarkable altar, in Greek character, to the Tyrian
Hercules: another imperfect one set up for a grave-stone.
In Mr. Tod’s house a fragment of a most noble inscription of the
emperor M. Aurelius, cut in very large and handsome letters: the date
of the _tribunicia potestas_ lost. I have endeavoured to do justice to
these elegant sculptures; whereas they are generally by others so very
ill done, as to be disgraceful both to Romans, and to Britons, and to
antiquity in general.
Over the door of a house, is a poor carving of a Northumbrian king,
with a sceptre in his hand, of the same style as their coins. There is
a fine bridge here over the river. From hence we travelled all along
upon the Roman road, on the northern banks of the Tyne, to Newcastle.
We saw Prudhoe castle on the other side of the river, standing on
an eminence; and a green mount, keep or _tumulus_, by the church of
Ryton. In the choir upon the ground lies the sepulchral monument of the
founder, probably; a lion at his feet; in his hands a square piece like
a book, with an eagle upon it.
At Newburn, as we passed, I saw a stone over a stable-door, next to
the sign of the boat; a tablet of the Roman fashion, ansated, cut in,
but the inscription worn out, as being exposed to the weather over the
river side.
The Roman wall leaves the common road about a mile east of Newburn, and
passes northward to recover the northern edge of the high ground; the
counter-guard ditch, called Hadrian’s, accompanying it _pari passu_. I
saw some more carved stones at Newburn, not worth reciting.
We leave Benwell on our right hand, a Roman station. The road two or
three miles west of Newcastle is very broad and strait, and enters the
west gate directly.
At East Denton, three miles west of Newcastle, is an inscription, in a
stable-wall, of the eighth cohort of the second legion.
NEWCASTLE.
This is a very large and populous town. The Picts wall ran along by the
north side of the road from Corbridge hither, upon a northern declivity
all the way, and in a strait line, on the north side of Newcastle.
The present castle was built where the Roman _castrum_ was, and the
Roman bridge: that and the walls of the town, the churches, and oldest
houses, are raised from the plunder of the Roman wall, which ought to
have been preserved as the noblest monument in Europe: it seems to have
gone across the present town, from the west gate to Pandon gate; and
lately, about the meeting-house, they dug up foundations of it: near
Pandon gate was found a seal-ring, now in Mr. Warburton’s possession.
One of the church steeples in this town is of a very ingenious model,
the original of one near London bridge. The bridge here is very long,
has houses on it: the arches and piers are rather larger than those of
London bridge. There is a ground-plot of this town lately made by an
artist. In some parts of this country, the ordinary people make a good
sort of ale called _hather_, that is, ling ale, by boiling the tops of
the Hather plant to a wort: then I suppose they put wormwood to it, and
ferment it.
The coal in this country, and which is universally diffused through
it, dips many ways, as the falls of valleys, or ducts of rivers,
occasionally divert its primary bent; but the main dip of it is to
the south-east. Sometimes here are fissures, or interruptions of
some considerable quantity, being coaled _strata_, stone, and other
materials jumbled together: this proves that there has been such a
partial disruption of the _strata_ of the earth, as we all along
suppose was effected by the Deluge; but not such a hotch-potch, or
total mixture and confusion, as others would pretend. It is objected
against our scheme, that the fishes in this deluge would be destroyed,
and so the renewal of them prevented; for, whether the water of the
flood was salt or fresh, or compound, yet this consequence must follow:
and indeed I allow it; but I suppose the eggs of these fishes renewed
the species, which, like the seeds of plants, would in an immense
quantity escape the storm, and provide for the succeeding world.
Immense are the quantities of coals transported from this _focus_ of
the kingdom; and the trade thereof is a perpetual source of seamen for
our navy. They speak very broad; so that, as one walks the streets, one
can scarce understand the common people, but are apt to fancy one’s
self in a foreign country. The perpetual clouds of smoke hovering in
the air makes every thing look black, as at London; and the falling of
it down must needs inrich all the ground round about.
It is an old proverb in this country, “As old as Pandon gate;” which
shows that there were formerly some ancient remains thereabouts; and
I believe the Picts wall went from thence, or rather somewhat above
it, i. e. north of it, directly across the town, to West gate; though
now the town is enlarged beyond it: nor was the old city, which stood
within the Wall, so broad to the east and west, as the present town,
but only filled up one of the eminences on which it now stands, having
deep valleys with brooks running through them on the sides. Again, it
may be inferred, there was a city or _castrum_ at Newcastle, because
the Wall on both sides runs in toward a point somewhat this way;
otherwise they ought to have carried it on by a straiter line north of
the town, and above it at some distance, and where it would better the
northern side of a declivity than at present; which was not so very
necessary when there was a city or castle here, beside _Gabrocentum_
on the other side of the water. Further, the ferry over the river here
would naturally erect a city for travellers northward.
Thus I conceive the intention and management of this famous work, the
Roman wall. It reaches 90 Roman miles: this is distributed into nine
parts by one of the largest castles, or cities: that interval has six
lesser castles. The names of the larger, till I am better informed, are
thus: 1. _Blatum Bulgium_, Boulness; 2. _Drumabon_, Drumburg castle;
3. _Luguvallum_, Carlisle; 4. _Amboglauna_, Castlesteeds; 5. _Voreda_,
Caer Voran; 6. _Borcovicus_, Housesteeds; 7. _Procolitia_, Caerhaw
brough; 8. _Hunnum_, Portgate; 9. _Vindolana_, Ruchester; 10. _Banna_,
Newcastle. The great castles were generally 400 foot square: these held
a cohort; the lesser held a maniple, or century: the first consisted of
600, the other of 120 men; for the Romans, in their military affairs
especially, reckoned by dozens. Thus the great castles contained a
full legion, 6000 men; the lesser, or centuries, a legion and half:
the cohorts were the standing garrison; the centuries were the watch:
for the Romans did not, as at present, set a single man to watch over
an army; but they watched by centuries, whence we have got the word
of standing _century_, without the thing. This I suppose the primary
disposition, whence it was provided that two legions and a half should
be a sufficient force to render this wall impregnable; and no doubt
it was so, as long as the Romans continued here. Further, upon the
mouths of the rivers were the fleets and galleys, to prevent the enemy
from passing them in their boats, as the _Cohors Ælia classica_ at
_Tunnocelum_, or Tynmouth, as the _Notitia Imperii_ in the last times
informs us. As also, of the disposition of the other troops along the
Wall, and castles adjacent at that time. Notwithstanding the foregoing
method of planting these castles, as the regular and primary intention
of the Romans, in such regular distances that they may relieve one
another as occasion requires; yet it must be understood with allowance,
and accordingly we find it so: they were not so strict as to plant
their castles at the alligned distances indiscriminately, for that
would be ridiculous; but chose out all along the nearest ground to
those distances, which by situation, on hills and the like, best suited
the end, for strength, prospect, water, and all other conveniencies:
they likewise placed them thinner, or more frequent, as the more or
less defensible parts of the Wall required.
[Sidenote: TAB. LXXVII.]
I pursued the Picts Wall beyond Pandon gate to Baker-mill hill, two
miles off eastward: it is very plain thither from Sandgate mill, both
the ridge of the wall, and ditch, the common road going beside it, and
many stones in the foundation left: it passes a very deep valley at
Euxburn, so ascends the opposite western hill very steep; a rivulet
running now in the ditch. Having mounted the hill, a coal-shaft is
sunk in the very ditch, and here is a square fort left upon the Wall:
some of the foundation of the wall of the fort, and of the Picts
Wall, is visible. This is upon an eminence, and sees from Newcastle
one way beside Benwell hill beyond it, where was another fort; and to
Baker-mill hill the other way, where no doubt was another; but a mill
and some farmhouses, standing thereon, have obliterated it. Between
here and Baker-mill hill both wall and ditch are very plain, the ditch
being deep, with a rivulet running along it: the present common road to
Tynmouth passes on its north side. The foundation of the wall is yet
intire within the pastures, and a considerable ridge of it is left.
Without the ditch is a coal-work lately set on fire, which vomits out
smoke continually, like a volcano: many more coal-works all about it.
From Baker-mill hill I observe it goes still forward eastward, in
a right line, upon the northern verge of the hills, as it has done
hitherto, till it comes pretty near the Tyne. From this hill I took a
prospect of its course Newcastle-ward; and the rather, because in all
probability, if, not from the fired coal-work at present, yet from some
others hereabouts, the country being intirely undermined, it may some
time or other sink, and disorder the track of this stately work.
Afterward I pursued the Wall westward out of west gate. As soon as I
passed the houses, I espied the ditch on my left hand, and the bank
whereon stood the Wall: the common road goes all the way on its north
side. I followed it for two miles up the hill by Eswic, going along the
road side as before. Many shafts of the coal-mines are sunk upon it.
When we are got into the closes, the foot-way goes along that called
Adrian’s ditch; both bank and ditch plainly visible, the bank north.
It runs parallel to the Wall, but upon the declining ground south, as
the other north: this confirms me in my suspicion, that both works
were made at the same time, and by the same persons, and with intent
that this should be a counter-guard to the other, the whole included
space being military ground. When arrived at the highest ground, is
Benwell hill, a military work, one of the larger _castra_; being 400
foot along the wall, i. e. east and west; not quite so much north and
south, 350: this is intrenched with a foss, and had a stone wall, the
vestiges whereof are sufficiently distinguishable; as also great tracks
of buildings within it, as at the others. It commands a great prospect
every way: I doubt not but they could see hence to the next _castrum_
westward; to the east, over Newcastle to the late-mentioned little
fort beyond Euxborn; so to Baker-mill hill: southward is a most
delightful prospect up two fine valleys over the Tyne; so up the hills
south of _Gabrocentum_, or Gateshead: the eye reaches too the sea-coast
to _Tunnocelum_, or Tynmouth, and the mouth of the river. The village
of Benwell subjacent was built out of the ruins of this place, and
great quantity of stone is still left. I saw much fragments of Roman
bricks, pavings, and gutter-tiles. Two urns were dug up near here; sent
to Durham college. I transcribed some altars too, found in this place,
at Mr. Shaftoe’s of Benwell tower.
[Illustration: 77·2ᵈ.
_View of the track of the Picts wall, Newcastle Ward, from baker
mill hill. 4 Sept. 1725. West._
_Stukeley delin._]
It was a refined piece of management, and great knowledge of things,
the Romans showed in the method of this wall; and a matter worthy of
remark, that they chose all along to raise this work on the north
side of the two rivers, that partly cross the island hereabouts,
the Eden and Tyne. Many are apt to wonder at it, and think it was
injudicious, imagining the rivers, with a very slender work on the
south side of them, would have been sufficient security, and saved
them much labour: but, if we consider this matter, we must confess
it was not done without great consideration, and a master-stroke of
military policy; for by this means the Romans took in all the fine rich
ground lying upon the rivers for the sustentation of their troops,
encouraged thereby to cultivate it, and build towns near, and make
possessions to themselves and families, that they might live easy, and
think themselves at home in these distant regions: here too trade and
navigation might be carried on, and supplies of corn, wood, and other
materials, conveyed from garrison to garrison; and in the times of the
perfection of this work it must be looked upon as the best planted spot
of ground in the island: and we may imagine the glorious show of towns,
cities, castles, temples, and the like, on the south side of this Wall,
by contemplating the prodigious quantities of their ruins and memorials
beyond that of any other part of Europe, scarce excepting imperial
Rome: and we have reason to think _this_ will continue to be a source
of entertainment for the curious and learned, when _that_ is exhausted.
Hither let the young noblemen and gentry travel, to admire the wonders
of their native country, thick sown by that great, wise and industrious
people, and learn with them how to value it.
Cæsar tells us the warlike nation of the Germans, the _Suevi_, gloried
most in laying waste all the bordering countries around them, in
destroying every thing that might administer sustenance to an enemy
in approaching to their quarters. It was certainly equally political
in the Romans to leave on the north side of the Wall that huge tract
of waterless and dismal moor, a great barren solitude, where in some
places you may walk sixty miles endwise without meeting with a house,
or a tree: to ride it is impracticable. Thus, as much as in them lay,
without the horror of barbarity did they remove the barbarians from
their territories; whilst within the Wall, either naturally or by their
industry, all things smiled like the garden of Eden: and indeed, toward
both sea-coasts, about Carlisle and Newcastle, it is a very desirable
and delightful country: and even in the midland moory tracts, by their
great roads made every where, it was very good travelling; and in the
worst parts, where their _castra_ stood, and upon the valleys, it is
now tolerably good, and was much better in their days, in the hands of
those who could almost conquer Nature herself.
One of the Benwell inscriptions is plainly to be filled up at top thus;
_Jovi O. M. Dolicheno & numinibus Aug._ Mr. Gale says, there is an
inscription in Gruter, with _Jovi Dolicheno ubi ferrum nascitur_: there
is another inscription, to _Jovi Dolicheno_, found in Wales: whence he
infers with verisimilitude, that Dolichenus signifies not a topical
deity; rather, some that presided over iron-works: but I cannot imagine
what language it is. In the town I found three more inscriptions,
though endeavoured to be concealed from me with a rudeness I never met
before, even among the most unbred rustics. The fort at Benwell hill
goes north of the road too, with an equal bulk; so that the Wall takes
a circuit northward to inviron it: it is full of ruins too; so that it
was really a city, induced probably by the extreme pleasantness of the
place. A well was lately filled up there.
I find very plainly that the Picts wall, east of the town, came from
Red Barns all along the street, so to Pandon gate, there being a great
declivity, and a brook running without: then it crossed the valley
within the town, where the brook runs, and went up the next hill to
All-Saints church, which no doubt stands upon the Wall, out of which
it was built: here is still a descent, where Silver-street is; and
northward then it went directly to the lane called Panter-haugh,
(probably from the old name, _Panna_, corrupted) with a descent still
northward; so to the brow of the hill where the castle stands: here
it met the Wall coming from West gate; and no doubt the site of the
present castle was the ancient _Panna_, and this castle was built
out of the ruins of the old one, and the adjacent parts of the Wall
together. I suspect much, that a piece of the outer wall of the present
castle, which stands on the west side in a tattered condition, may
be Roman, at least built with Roman stone: this going upon the slope
of the hill, the courses of the stone slope too, parallel with the
declivity: but, be that as it will, at the foundation of it, a little
lower, I saw a bit of the true old Roman wall, and indubitably so, made
of white lime-stone, with mortar prodigiously hard, and ringing like a
bell when struck upon. This castle has a great precipice eastward over
Sand hill, and southward toward the river.
In the fields eastward, between Pandon gate and Red Barns, the
counter-guard as I call that (vulgarly Adrian’s _vallum_) is plain,
running all along parallel to the Wall; which method it observes where
the ground leaves it that liberty. I suppose the city that belonged to
this castle of _Panna_ lay about Sand hill, at the end of the ferry.
The south-west part of the town-wall to the postern was built on the
counter-guard of that side. This town stands on three lingulas sloping
toward the river. Probably William Rufus rebuilt this castle too, as
that at Carlisle, and with the same purpose, as a guard against the
pillaging Scots.