We were conducted down the river, by the officers of the customs, to North Sheels, at the mouth of the river, the Tunnocelum of the Romans. This is a very pleasant open river, and broad: sometimes 300 or 400 sail of ships lie here. Tinmouth castle, no doubt, was the Roman castle, standing high on the northern promontory. Clifford’s fort is a small insignificant fort upon the edge of the water. The shore of the river for the most part is rocky, and in some places pleasantly covered with wood. We saw Tarrow to the southward, famous for the birth-place of the most learned monk, venerable Bede.
Some of the coal-works here dip full East: it is plain south-east is the natural dip in general; those at Whitehaven, inclining south-west, I suppose receive a counter-bias, as being on the west side of the island. Sometimes they set green poles of alder and the like within the works, to support a weak part of the rock over-head; and then it is observed the juices in the tree will work upwards, and spread themselves upon the rock in a branch-like efflorescence.
Ravensworth castle was moated about, and castellated; but I could hear of no Roman antiquities found there. It stands under a very pleasant wood, and in a fine vale extending itself into Yorkshire, as they say, and farther; perhaps through the whole kingdom. Above this house to the west, upon the top of the fell, toward Tanfield is a most extensive prospect, over a great part of the Roman wall; so to the Cheviot hills toward Scotland, to Tinmouth castle, the sea, Lumley castle, and quite round; that it is very probable somewhere hereabouts was a Roman castle, and this might be the Ravonia Mr. Baxter places at Ravensworth.
The fund of coal in this country is inexhaustible; for the whole country is a mine of coal quite across the kingdom, in the moors, and so to Scotland: and this will be an eternal source of seamen in the kingdom. Going up the hill toward Benwell, I find the counter-guard goes just 300 foot off the wall, which was sufficient for the march of the detachments from place to place. The eastward part of the wall joined the castle where the stairs now are. A good part of the friery is standing, being a court: the chapel is converted into a hall for the smiths. Nothing of the nunnery left, but the jambs of the gate-house next the street.
GABROCENTVM.
Was Gateshead, as its name imports in British, I suppose, from the sign of some inn: a Goat still stands upon a sign of the Golden Lion, crowned. I guess this was a fortified town in the times of the Romans, where a ferry was for passage northward; but by reason of the buildings no traces of it are left: it stands on a deep rocky descent Westward. The Roman road here, which is the true Hermen-street coming from Sussex, coming down Gateshead fell, passes in a strait line to the bridge. I saw several Roman stones here, the recipient part of their hand-mills. In this place, in the time of the Notitia, lay the second cohort of the Thracians in garrison. There is an odd mausoleum in the church-yard.
Lord Hertford’s workmen, digging up the Roman city by Marlborough, found a piece of brass with an inscription in Romano-barbarous letters, a quarter of an inch high, thus: ʌ.MʌIS
CONDERCVM. Chester on the Street.
Lumley castle has a fine appearance hence. The Hermen-street is very plain, being in a strait line hither when we descend from Gateshead fell. I think Bede mentions this station, as called Concester, which retains part of the Roman name. Great coal-works too hereabouts. The first wing of the Astures made this their garrison, as the Notitia tells us, being ad lineam valli; for, though it be not upon the Wall, it is reasonable to think his expression is not to be strictly taken: it was convenient that some of the forces that guarded the wall should be quartered at some suitable distance, that they might have room of country for their maintenance. Here was a collegiate church founded by Anthony Bec, bishop of Durham; and here lived the Lindisfarn bishops, with the celebrated body of St. Cuthbert, before they settled at Durham. At Lumley castle is a curious old picture of Chaucer, said to be an original. Egelric monk of Peterborough, after bishop, built a church here in the time of William I. in digging the foundation he found an infinite deal of money, (Roman, I suppose,) with which he repaired the church at Burgh, and made a causeway through the fens between Spalding and Deeping.