gb0551ms-36-2-166

Transcription

[Page 166]
[Continued from page 164]

I could only add that the quillons of the sword on the So. [South] side
turn downwards. A short run brought us to Eccles
Greig & his wife were both from home but I sought the
privilege of a rest in his smoking room to eat my
frugal lunch to which the establishment added a most
delicious cup of coffee. The old house has been taken
down but the portion of the nunnery formerly in
rear of it still remain and shelter a pretty
rose garden from the E. [East] and N. [North]. It is a pretty notion
to have the La Frances and Caroline Testouts taking
the places in the nunnery of the fair women who
sought the cloister and centuries ago declined to
“gather their rosebuds.” In some sort they live again

Eccles
in the roses for their earthly remains keep turning
up in the garden where they grow. The two vaulted
cells displaying on the north a blocked round
headed window are as described, adjoining which
(the window) is a fragment of string course enriched with a
chevron ornament. A number of carved stones
lie around including two transition capitals
The font in the garden is 32 ins. [inches] in diameter
and 15 1/2 ins [inches] high. It is perforated in the bottom.

Hardacres
Our next objective Hardacres fort on the So. [South]
Western extremity of a long ridge I found under
plough and almost entirely obliterated. It had
consisted of two concentric ramparts with a ditch
in front of the inner one and a level space between
that and the outer. Only at the S.W. [South West] end was any:
:thing apparent. Hume Castle is now a ridiculous
fantastic erection, a modern ruin raised on the
site of the ancient fortress. It occupies a magnifi:
:cent situation on a high rocky knoll command:
:ing the great plain that seems to stretch to the
Cheviot. The modern village whose gardens were
gay with chrysanthemums straggled up the hill side
to the base of the rock. The schoolmaster, Mr. Cuthbert
somewhat of a character, took me to the old church:
:yard where the outline of the old church is dis:
:cernible. The “pest knowe” is a mound in the
S.E. [South East] corner excavated by Lady John Scott without
result except, so the schoolmaster informed me, to
find the slivers of stone connected with the building
of the church. I was conducted to Homebyres a
neighbouring farm where there was a museum,
where was nothing of value save one very good
delpht plate. In the churchyard is a small
round headed cross with a plinth,
total height 2’.5.” dia. [diameter] of head 1 ft. [foot] thickness 7ins. [inches].
On one side of the head is carven an equal limbed cross with
the ends of the arms expanded and on the other
side a similar cross without the expansion of
the ends of the arms. Through a mistake as to
our place of meeting after visiting the Kirkyard the
motor went to one road end and I to another

[Continued on page 168]