Extract from Lord Armstrong's letter:

"The preservation of Bamburgh Castle as a historic monument, and its restoration to a more dignified position than it at present holds, are the chief inducements that have led me to contract for its purchase. I therefore have no objection to enter into a covenant to run with the land, that I will do nothing to change the historic character of the Castle. But it seems difficult to define what would and what would not be a change. I think it would be desirable to put on record what I intend to do. First, I intend to restore the Great Hall of the Castle, in the style of the period in which it was built. Second, I intend to convert the adjoining buildings into a These buildings charitable institution, to be approved of by Lord Crewe's trustees. have only of late years been used as a boarding school for girls, and are now used for seaside lodgings. The institution will most probably be for the benefit of convalescent patients, who will have the advantage of using the restored Great Hall for exercise and recreation."

From the foregoing may be gathered the motives of this generous benefactor. In addition to alterations to the Castle, Lord Armstrong contemplated doing a great But our aim on the present occasion is to deal more deal for the entire estate. particularly with the Castle. Those who are familiar with the architectural features of this fine old stronghold, will be aware that during the early years of the Trust, nearly the whole of the building was subjected to many violent changes, and that while the mere outlines may not have been much interfered with, this does Such being the case not apply to several internal alterations that were carried out.

it was only natural that Lord Armstrong should seize the first opportunity for having the fortress restored to what it was in pre-historic times. Owing to certain arrangements a start has first been made with some of those towers and chambers situated on the southeastern part of the wall, and in close proximity to the eastern part of the keep. At this juncture it is rather difficult to give a foreshadowing of all that is contemplated. But this to a certain extent may be gathered from the remarks of that eminent architect, Mr. C. J. Ferguson, F. S. A., who only last year at a meeting at Bamburgh, said "that with the help of Mr. Gibbings and Mr. Hart, he was endeavoring to disqualify himself for either classification, and had commenced his education by making a careful plan and drawings of the Castle as it now existed, for nothing unfolded the history of a building so thoroughly as a careful plan. All great variations in the style of building arose from some new or improved The medieval art was a transition from concrete to method of construction. masonry, as the walls got thinner and thinner and the masonry better in quality and finish. The greater part of the outer walls of Bamburgh Castle and the towers which stand upon them were ancient. The muniment tower was a fine example of a thirteenth century tower, and had two original windows of great interest, but it had unfortunately been partially refaced, but great care would be taken to preserve as much of the old work intact as possible. The kitchen, though somewhat hidden under modern additions, was the old kitchen of the Castle, and had the peculiar feature of having vents or flues for ventilation formed over each of the windows. To the west of it stood the old King's Hall, the site now being occupied by a laundry, wash house, and other offices. These would be taken down and the hall rebuilt, probably the same size, seventy feet by thirty feet. It would not be the old hall, but would occupy the site, and be a lasting monument of its predecessor. The lower parts of the old walls had unfortunately been refaced some time ago, and so had lost some of their original expression. Great care, however, would be taken to preserve whatever of it was left. From the foregoing it will be seen that the ancient King's Hall was on the east side of the keep and to west of the old kitchens. After its demolition the site was utilized by the erection of a dairy, laundry, and other offices. These are all being swept away, and the walls of a new hall, almost on the Of the history of this particular identical lines of the old one, are being erected. part of the Castle, Mr. Bates says it was in existence at the time of the Conquest, and may be said to have witnessed much of the chivalry and martial achievements that are associated with its history. "It," as this same authority facetiously remarks, "may have been associated with one of the most distinctive Northumbrian tenures Nor is it at all unlikely "that it was probably at in supplying logs for its hearth."

this hearth that the Countess Judith tested the miraculous properties of St. Oswin's hair. The history of Ida's Castle at Bamburgh carries our minds back to the days of feud, war, and turmoil, and it was not till the time of Oswald that better things were ushered in, when the godly influences of Aidan and that noble band of At the present Iona Missioneris caused the glad tidings of the gospel to be felt.

time there are nearly 200 workmen employed about the building, and as the work

4

progresses we may expect to see this number still more augmented. Some of the alterations in progress at the present time are formidable difficulties, especially where the basalt has to be excavated for specific purposes. One of the most arduous undertakings has been the cutting out of a passage that will afford communication between the kitchens and the keep, and where by means of a hydraulic lift erected under the floor of the latter every facility will be afforded for rapidly supplying the good store for "my lord's table." The stones for the work of reconstruction are being brought from Lord Armstrong's quarries at Craigside, and judging from the color and nature of the dressed ashbars, they will assist in imparting a still bolder effect to the exterior. The whole of the works are being executed from plans specially prepared by Mr. Ferguson, and we may say that in the hands of such a competent authority, full justice will be done to the undertaking. The Clerk of the works is Mr. Laidler, who is imbued with a keen relish for the project before him.

During the last twelve months a considerable amount of expense has been incurred over certain repairs and alterations that are going on at the Church. This was caused in a great measure by the roof of the chancel having gotten into a dilapidated state. For some time past the present Vicar who had under consideration a plan for raising both the roof of the chancel and the nave to their original height, such as existed previous to the fifteenth century. Bamburgh Church, like a good many more in Northumberland, joined in the transition from the high pitched roof to the low flat-roof, and the change was no doubt brought about by the fact that the low roof was better adapted to our northern climate than the other. It is a somewhat knotty point, and one over which a great difference of opinion exists. Be this as it may, the architect, Mr. Wm. Searles Hicks, is to be congratulated on the manner in which the work is being executed. The Church is worthy of careful study. There are no traces about the present building that can be associated with the early Saxon Church, but in the absence of such we are almost safe in assuming that the pre-existing structure would be chiefly composed of wood. There is no part of the present building that dates earlier than the middle of the thirteenth century, whilst the chancel and crypt are both somewhat later. The transepts which show indications of an extension, date from about the early part of the fourteenth century. The small pointed doorway at the southwesternmost part of the south facade has often led to a good deal of conjecture. Judging from the importance of the place, and with a monastery of no mean significance close at hand, it is not improbable that the western part of the nave and a portion of the south aisle may have served as an altar. These were formerly to be found oftener at the east end of our churches, but we have instances, as at Durham, where the west end was occasionally resorted to.

BAMBOROUGH CASTLE.

As It Appeared in 1896 when Visited by Mrs. Sophie Foster Symes-An Interesting Account of the Early Home of the Family.

'Twas in making a tour of the Cathedral towns in the summer of '96 that we came to Northumberland. We had spent the Sunday at York and at noon of a beautiful August day-quite like our own September ones-we alighted from the train at Belford. With another party bent upon visiting the famous old Bamboro' Castle we occupied a wagonette and made the distance of eight miles in time almost too quick for any lingering enjoyment of the landscape, diversified by an occasional glimpse of the North Sea, very fierce and wild at that point of the coast.

Arriving at the village of Bamboro', neither the Victoria Inn nor the Crewe Arms, could afford us accommodation, so we sought and found refuge in a cottage within the shadow of the Castle walls. In the absence of the family, we were attended by the care-taker of the domicile, a maiden who bore the name of Short, but who at the same time was possessed of a face so long and of a nature so melancholy, that we only endured her serving of the goose-berries and mushroomsabundantly bestowed by kind neighbors-for two meals of the day, taking our dinners at the Inn, patronized by H. R. H. the Prince of Wales, so the sign board read. Bamboro' village is a typically English one, of primitive aspect, two streets, one leading to the stage road and the other to the Manor house and the Church, uniting in one, and terminating at the Castle. Then, like any other well regulated English

village, it has a "Lord of the Castle" and a "gray haired Vicar" and the "Squire" -the rest of the inhabitants seemed like simple honest folk, many of whom live their short, or their long lives-it matters little which-with never going from the boundary of their native hamlet; yet the history that events have made in this remote corner of England I can only refer to-for does it not take the greater part of the seven gigantic volumes of the History of Northumberland to record?

As the roads, so does interest, center at the Castle, one of the most ancient in all England. King Ida's reign began in the year 550 and prior to that "a castle huge and square" existed; to the antiquarian and student of architecture, the various epochs in building, Roman, Saxon and Norman, afford an interesting study.

Bamboro' derives its name from Babba, one of the early Queens of Northumbria. It was by a grant from William the Norman that the Forsters became possessed of this splendid fortress, retaining it until 1709. In the spring of 1895 the property was purchased by Lord Armstrong, of Armstrong gun fame, and he has by this time, I presume, completed the restoration to its old time splendor, this castle "superior to any other in strength and position.'

As the Forsters were so identified with all pertaining to Bamboro' it was with no ordinary interest our little party of four climbed the winding path that morning, when, by Lord Armstrong's courtesy we were to have entrance within the Castle walls. Eight acres are enclosed and the principal gate of Norman build is very imposing. On this our first visit, we passed in quick review the moat, the portculis, the towers and bastions, all remarkable for their impregnability, and hastened to the keep, a massive square building outwardly, and its interior of grand proportions. In the year 1700 some efforts at repair were made, but since then, till the more recent ownership, it has been somewhat neglected. Much of the elegant forniture remained, also the famous Justinian tapestries, the armor, plate, and china, (Oh, how we coveted the possession of one cup). The family portraits were most interesting, especially that of Sir Walter Besant's heroine, Dorothy Forster, and that of her revolutionary brother, General Tom Forster. We peered down the well 150 feet deep, accidentally discovered in 1770 and located in a small passage way. We only had, it seemed to us, a brief time in the library, with its many priceless volumes, its missals and illuminated texts, centuries old. We had to carefully pick our way down the old worn stone steps at the further end from that we entered, viewing, on the ocean side of the Castle's domains, the scene of Grace Darling's exploits.

The Vicar of the parish, dear old Canon Long, welcomed us as long wandering children returning to their native heath and 'twas at once our privilege and pleasure to go to the rectory for our afternoon tea and hear him tell of Bamboro' and of the brave, adventurous Forsters; then to walk with him through the high walled garden, once belonging to a convent, but destroyed by Cromwell-and along the same paths trod by the gentle nuns centuries before, and later on by beautiful Dorothy Forster and her handsome, chivalrous lover, the Earl of Derwentwater and who, because one would not give up the Protestant religion and the other his Roman Catholic faith, were never wed. This garden is directly across from the Manor House included in the original grant to the Forster family, now the home of "the Squire," and where we were most hospitably entertained, meeting many of the Bamburghers.

One of the first Christian churches in that part of England was built in Bamboro' in 635, the present one is believed to have been erected in the twelfth century and has many fine, unusual features. Some of the windows are exquisite in color. The young lady of our party went to the crypt "the graveyard of the Forsters" 'tis called, where sixty-six of that name are buried. This was only discovered and opened within a few years.

On the following Sunday the American descendants of this once famous family were accorded seats in the Forster pew and over the ashes of her ancestors, they listened to a memorial sermon to a fair, sweet girl called to another world the year before. After service we lingered in the little churchyard reading the quaint inscriptions on many of the monuments, especially that of Grace Darling's, whose memory is justly held in great reverence, love and pride.

And then the little old caretaker of the church asked us to go and see her yet older and crippled mother, who would tell us so much of the Forsters and show us some gifts that had been held in her family for generations.

From time immemorial Bamboro' has been visited by the grandest and the greatest of the realm on hostile and peaceful intent bent, happily only of the latter kind for many a year now, and there are many who in the summer seek this retired

spot for the rest it affords. In the days of our stay there Sir Henry Irving was wont to pace the beach or country road, book in hand, studying the lines of Cymbaline.

How vividly does the last night of our stay at Bamboro' come to mind! At low tide we wandered far out on the sands and looking backward viewed for the last time, this grand old Castle and fortress, the scene of so many struggles, fierce and destructive, by sea and by land, yet like a mighty Sphinx immovable, calm and majestic with the rays of the setting sun resting in glory upon tower and turret. As for centuries it has stood, so it will stand, when we, like those whose memory we came to reverence, have passed on and generations will have followed us.

A Description of the Old Parish Church of the Forster Family in Bamburgh, Northumberland Co., England-The Chancel and Crypt Cover the

Remains of Sixty-three of the Forsters.

The Glebe, Bamburgh, Belford, Northumberland, England-March 30, 1895. Bamburgh is now a small place, inhabited chiefly by agricultural laborers, and the distressed state of the land in England renders owners incapable of doing much for church restoration-especially as the old churches have required so much repair of late years. Lord Armstrong has purchased Bamburgh Castle, and will live there part of the year-partly as a change from his property at Craigside, Rothberry, and partly to overlook a Convalescent Home for decayed gentlefolks, which he will raise on the Castle Hill at Bamburgh. Will you tell your friends that all the armor belonging to the Forsters, with family pictures, and other relics, have been in the hands of the "Crewe Trustees"-five clergymen elected for the purpose of Lord Crewe's charities under his will. Lord Crewe was the Bishop of that name who married Dorothy Forster, the aunt of the Dorothy, Walter Besant's heroine. The Crewe Trustees have been forced in these bad times to part with Bamburgh Castle and some farms near it to Lord Armstrong, but they retain the family pictures, etc., and the valuable library, which contains some early printed books of the greatest rarity and value.

Your ancestors' name is highly thought of in this part of England (and everywhere amongst educated people). Lord Armstrong, I am sure, would give people leave to go through the old buildings, as well as Adderstone Hall, five miles from Bamburgh, where the Forsters partly lived. He has recently restored the Hall and has presented it to some members of his family. This whole part is very full of historical interest, and would, I am sure, afford great delight. Allow me to add that nothing touches the hearts of Englishmen so much as the love of the American people for the old country and its antiquities.

The old Castle still under restoration; but nothing has been done to impair its character-and the drawings of the restored buildings will assure you of Lord Armstrong's reverence for antiquity. The chief architect, Mr. Ferguson, of Carlisle, is the famed restorer of Haworth Castle, the seat of Lord Carlisle. That work of restoration is a most skillful and successful attempt to harmonize new and old. The old characterizes the building and the new looks old.

The

We are engaged in the work for the restoration of Bamburgh Church. chancel is approaching completion—so far as the roof goes-but the interior will require a large outlay. The chancel and crypt cover the remains of sixty-three Forsters.

H. F. LONG.

Bamburgh, on the mainland, with Holy Island and the Farne Islands off the coast, is the chief source of English Christianity. Bamburgh Crag, a natural fortress of volcanic rock, formed, in Saxon times, the seat of a Kingdom which stretched from the Humber to the Forth, with a protectorate or ascendancy over almost the whole Heptarchy. Ida, the founder of the Kingdom, landed with his followers, the Angles, above the Tweed, and seized the magnificent rock known to the Britons as Dingueroy, and afterwards to the Anglians as Bebbanburgh, or Bamburgh, from Bebba, the wife of Ida's grandson. Here dwelt Oswald, the Royal Saint, to whose zeal and guidance we owe the rise and march of English Christianity-as distinct from foreign importations. Not long after his accession, Oswald invited S. Aidan from the island monastery of Iona, and gave him a commission to evangelise his realm. And so it was, remarks Professor Bright, that, in the summer of 635, S. Aidan approached his task. From the outset, the Saint maintained his Celtic views and practices-the Celtic Easter, Celtic monasticism, Celtic discipline, the Celtic tonsure, and the Celtic form of Baptism. His first settlement, indeed, betrayed his preferences; for he carried with him the remembrance of Iona, his island home, reproducing it in Lindisfarne or Holy Island. Here his position corresponded with his origin: he became a Missionary Bishop, of the same type as the Monks of Iona, and was sent without foreign authority from the neighboring Scottish Church, at the summons of the Northumbrian King.

As the friend of S. Oswald, the Saint spent much of his time at Bamburgh, where he raised a Church of wood, as the Anglian manner was, and died in a small cell at the west end, in view, tradition says, of the Altar, and within hearing of the Vesper Service.

The above Church, passing through Norman and later stages, is the successor of the wooden church, occupies the same site, and perpetuates the same associations. Its Christianising influence was great. From the group of Lindisfarne, the Farne Islands, and Bamburgh-all united in religious work-missionaries flowed over most of the Heptarchy. The same spirit of independence which marked S. Aidan and the Celtic school characterised their work; and thus the whole of England bears witness to S. Aidan's impress.