Journal entry – John Grey – 1 Aug 1833

Thursday 1st August 1833



Alston Mill

Went to examine the Corn Mill in Alston, a part of which is in such a state as hardly to be kept going. The end of the water axle, has been so often repaired & is in such a rate of decay that it will no longer hold the Wedges - and the woden cogs of the second or spur wheel, are worn so short as hardly to take any hold of those in which they work.  I apprehend it will be necessary to have this examined by a Millwright to have his report upon its condition, before taking any steps towards its repair.  Mr Hooper was I believe informed of the state of this Mill when at Alston.  Of the Thrashing Machines upon these Estates  I think those made by Stokoe are decidedly the best, but I shall await the instructions of the Board respecting Alston Mill. 



Garrigill 

       I then proceeded to inspect all the Farms extending southward in Garrigill.  They are generally so small as to afford of little outlay and I regret to have to add that most of the houses are in wretched condition - some of them I fear will hardly continue to be habitable to the end of the present Leases, but to endeavour to make them so, at the cheapest rate, for they are not worth much outlay, I arranged with Mr Dickinson that the walls in some parts should be strengthened & pointed.  that the roofs should if possible made waterproof, and the floors above, which are generally full of holes & broken boards, mended.  And for this purpose, that certain Cottages that have been abandoned from their bad condition, & are not likely in the decreasing population ever to be worth replacing, should be dismantled of any materials, such as boards, Slates etc as could be made available for patching up the others.

       The only exception to this state of things in that quarter, is on the farm of Lowhouses, let for £52 a year.  The house here is modern & good, but the Byer, which in such a climate & where so much depends upon cows, is so bad that it is hardly safe to go into, from the badness of the walls although the timber in the roof is very good & quite fit to put into a new building.  The Tenant, of whom Mr Dickinson speaks well, gave in a proposal for eleven years altho’ it has only been let to him for five, of which two expired at May last.  I could not persuade him to say that he would make any advance of rent on condition of having the building improved, nor perhaps would it have been advisable for him to do so, but he would lead Materials if his lease was extended to his proposal.  I fear something must be done at that place next summer.  In the field where his Cows go, near the river, are the remains of lead workings, which are injurious to them & that he might have the free use of the land, he begged to have that part fenced off, which could be done by a short piece of Wall & on condition of his procuring materials, I directed Mr Dickinson to have it done.



Alston District

At Randalholme Farm, the largest in the district, & where 20 Cows are reared each year, there is no Calf house, it would not cost much to fit it up with home wood, & if I find the Tenant pay up his rent, would recommend its being done in the Spring.  There is a small triangular piece of Ground, between the two roads that lead to Hexham & Kirkhaugh, in a hillside to the north of Alston, consisting of an Acre or an Acre & half, which is of no use as it is & should be planted.  Also a small piece of ragged looking bank, caused by making the new road, leading from Lowbyer towards Alston, might be sloped a little & planted at small expense, which would be at once ornamental and useful.   I am glad to report of Walton, the present tenant, that both he & his wife are well spoken of, as most civil & respectable people.  They have everything clean & comfortable, though I rather suspect their finances are not abundant.  They solicited me strongly, to have another outside door to the house, with a passage to it from the Kitchen, which would certainly be an improvement - at present there is only one door besides that opening from the large room into the Garden, & company coming to the house may be met by Slops etc from the Kitchen.  I desired to have an estimate of the probable expense of placing the new door & making the partition and promised to mention his application to the Board.

       The Street leading out of the high part of Alston is the most dangerous from its steepness and bad paving of anything I ever saw.  I strongly advised Mr Dickinson & Mr Bainbridge to employ the men in a time of scarcity, in breaking it up and making a smooth road.  In closing these remarks upon my visit to Alston, it is but just to observe that I found Mr Dickinson most accurately informed upon all matters connected with his department, and much alive to the depressed condition of the inhabitants of the district, whose quiet demeanor, regular habits and subdued and even contented appearance, under their difficulties, cannot fail to interest everyone in their favor.