rials which his predecessor had raised, erected a more magnificent fabric. During the progress of the work, much treasure was discovered, which the Bishop transferred to aggrandise the monastery of Peterborough, where he had been a monk. After the See had been removed to Durham, this place, divested of its state and authority, became a mere parochial rectory, till Bishop Beck made the Church collegiate, and established a Dean, with seven Prebendaries, five Chaplains, three Deacons, &c. Thus it continued till the Dissolution, when what was estimated in the reign of Edward the First, at 1461. 13s. 4d. had no higher valuation in the twentieth of Henry the Eighth, than 771. 12s. 8d.

The present Church is a handsome stone edifice, with a nave, side aisles, and tower: the base of the latter is of a square form; but above the roof of the Church it assumes an octagonal shape, apparently more modern; and is terminated by a very elegant stone spire, one of the finest in the north of England; the entire height is 156 feet. The interior is neat, and well preserved; it contains a singular arrangement of monuments with effigies of the deceased ancestry of the noble family of Lumley. The series is as follows: Liulph, the unhappy minister of Bishop Walcher, who was massacred at Gateshead, during the reign of William the First. Utredus filius Liulphi. William de Lumley. William Lumley, mil. William de Lumley. Roger, temp. Edward the First. Robert de Lumley. Sir Marmaduke de Lumley, temp. Edward the Third. Ralph, first Lord of Lumley, temp. Henry the Fourth. Sir John Lumley, temp. Henry the Fifth. George, Lord Lumley, temp. Edward the Fourth. Sir Thomas Lumley, temp. Henry the Seventh. Richard, Lord Lumley, temp. Henry the Eighth. John, Lord Lumley, temp. Henry the Eighth.*

The Deanery-House, now the seat of the ancient family of Hedworth, is very pleasantly situated; it commands a fine view of Lumley Castle, and is surrounded by excellent meadow grounds: the manor of Chester Deanery is copyhold, belonging to the Bj shop,

* A very particular description of these figures is inserted in Hutchinson's Durham, Vol. II. p. 392.

shop, and its jurisdiction is very extensive; it has a coroner, and gives name to the ward.

This village, being on the great post road from London to Edinburgh, and contiguous to numerous coal-works, has become populous. The township, as returned under the late act, contains 1662 inhabitants, and 259 houses; most of the latter are of stone. They are chiefly arranged in one street, nearly a mile in length. On the adjoining moor is a race course.

LUMLEY

"At Whitehill, or Whitwell, in this neighbourhood, is a blast furnace, which makes iron-metal from iron-stone, dug out of pits in the neighbouring fells. These fells have been very much worked for iron-stone, (supposed by the Danes when they were in possession of the kingdom,) as appears from the great quantity of scoria or cinder which is found upon the fells, and extends many miles westward. The method in those times had been to melt the ironstone with charcoal in a large smithy hearth, called a bloomery, and then in another hearth to melt it down again, and reduce it to bar-iron for all manner of country uses: and when the wood failed, they removed their hearths to where it was more plenty; so that evidently they must have blown their bloomery bellows either by hand or with horses, or have known the use of air-furnaces, as the most scoria or cinder is found upon the high grounds, where no water could be obtained. About three miles west of Chester, is a place called the Old Furnace, where very lately was to be seen the bottom of a furnace hearth, according to the usual mode of building them now, but of much smaller dimensions. They had blown the bellows with a water-wheel, as appears by the cut of a water-race to convey it to the wheel from an upper part of the bourne. On the opposite side of the bourne is a place called the Alum Well, from the water having a strong aluminous smell and taste. The method of making metal is by putting into a large furnace, about 34 feet in height, and 12 or 13 wide in the broadest part, but contracted at top and bottom, a cer. tain number of baskets of coal or cinders, to a certain number of boxes of ironstone, calcined for the purpose, and a quantity of lime-stone sufficient to flux it: when a sufficient quantity is melted into the hearth, or bason, at the bottom of the furnace, it is then tapped with an iron bar, and run off into metal pigs, or large vessels prepared in loam, (a composition of sand, clay, &c.) for different uses, such as brewing vessels, soap pans, engine pumps, cylinders, cannon of all sizes; and the iron-stone and coal used here, are allowed by the best judges at his Majesty's Warren at Woolwich, to make the strongest and soundest cannon that are proved there."-From the information of Mr. Smith, agent of these works. Hutchinson's Durham, Vol. II. p. 398.

LUMLEY CASTLE, about a mile to the east of Chester-leStreet, is one of the seats of the Earl of Scarborough. It stands majestically on a fine elevated situation, bounded on the north by Lumley Beck, and rising gradually on the south and west from the river Wear: the east front is near the brow of a very deep, well-wooded valley, through which the Beck winds towards the river. This stately mansion forms a quadrangle, with an area in the centre; at each angle are projecting turrets, or observatories, of an octangular form, which overhang the face of each square of the base, and are machiolated, for the purpose of annoying assailants; they, however, give to the general building a singular appearance. The whole is composed of a yellow free-stone, which gives a bright and beautiful tint at a distance. The chief entrance to the Castle is at the west front, by a noble double flight of steps, and a platform filling the whole space between the towers: the front to the south is modern, and brought almost parallel with the tower, being sixty-five paces in length: the front to the north is obscured by offices; but towards the east, the Castle retains its ancient form, and has a most august appearance: its projecting gateway, commanded by turrets, and machiolated gallery, are bold and stately. Above this gate are six shields, with armorial bearings, deeply carved in stone, with their crests, cotemporary with the building; and which ascertain the date of its alteration by Sir Ralph Lumley, in the reign of Richard the Second; when he obtained licence from the King, in 1389, as well as from Bishop Skirlaw, to repair his Castle of Lumley, and to build a wall with mortar and stone, and to embattle the structure: it appears that the original fabric had been constructed by Sir Robert Lumley, in the reign of Edward the First, and enlarged by his son, Sir Marmaduke. There are three stories of apartments in this front, having mullioned windows, guarded with iron: a narrow space, for a terrace, between the walls and the brink of the precipice, is guarded by a curtain. The uniformity of this front, the arrangement of the arms, and the whole appearance of its masonry, testify this to be a part of the original structure, and a grand model of the taste of the age.

A beautiful