Journal entry – John Grey – 1 Nov 1833

Friday 1st November.



Took a round to see the Drain for bringing an additional supply of Water into the Reservoir at Dilston North Farm, & the repairing of the road over Snokoe hill, upon which I have employed some old men at low wages, who otherwise would at this season come upon the Parish.  The alteration of buildings at the Park Farm, which has nearly concluded and which has made a great improvement to the Farm Offices at a small expense - and the raising of the embankments in Widehaugh, which will certainly now present an insuperable barrier to the floods of the Tyne, although the soil being to wheel in barrows from the adjoining fields to the very top of the embankment, causes it to proceed slowly and at considerable expense.  I then went to meet Mr Rewcastle at the point where Stokoe proposed to erect the Saw Mill, when after examining the ground and discussing the subject, he gave me in an amended proposal of £20 a year ground rent instead of £8 without which I would not undertake to forward his offer to the Board.  The Plan accompanying the proposal will best show the intended site.  The ground to the extent of half an Acre which the premises will occupy is covered at present with full grown Larch, which the Party will buy, for the purpose of roofing, also the few trees which will be removed in making the course to and from the Mill Wheel.  There is already a road through the Wood as described, which they must improve & maintain, & they must make one across the field, East Birk side, to join the lane, at their own cost & indemnify the tenant for the land it may occupy, as well as for any casual trespass,  I examined it particularly with reference to the probability of damage being done to the opposite ground, by the call to be raised across the water, to drive it down the course to the Wheel, but the call will be so low and the descent is so great, that I can hardly anticipate such result. Should it be found by experience in case of the Agreement being entered into, that it had such an effect, I would stipulate that the Lessees be bound to raise an embankment adequate to the defence of the Land from Floods.  The Ground Rent of £20 a year offers no great inducement to allow of such an erection, but surrounded as the situation is, by the woods of Dilston Park, the Devils Water, Dipton & Snokoe, most of which is of great size & fit for Sale.  I should hope that the facility afforded by a Saw Mill for cutting it up into portable & suitable sizes, might prove very beneficial to the Hospital in disposing of it.  The proposing party, calculate upon an outlay of £500 and are desirous of an early answer to their application, for if proceeded with, the wood ought immediately to be cut down, that it may get seasoned for use, & that they may commence with the Water course.  I send herewith Mr Parkin’s calculation of the young trees wanted for the ensuing season.  I shall obtain from different Nursery men & compare their respective prices, & if possible examine their Stocks.  While upon this Subject, I must beg leave to remark that most of the young plantations on the property, especially some at Elrington, the very extensive ones at Gairshield & in Hexhamshire & some in Newlands have been planted much too thick at the first, & have been allowed to go on without thinning, because I am told, there is no market for so much small fir Wood till the hard wood trees are choked among the firs & sustaining irreparable injury.  That the weedings cannot be sold to advantage is to be regretted,  but they had better be cut & left to rot, than have such fine plantations ruined, after all the expense of fencing and planting has been incurred.  It is too common an occurrence that nurserymen & planters like to swell their Bills for trees & labor, by using an inordinate number of plants, but having been rather an attentive planter in a small way on my own property, I would recommend that in future they be placed at much greater distances. Although they do not make such a show for a few years at first, they become eventually much hardier & finer trees, & at an immense saving of expense.   I am of opinion too that sales of the large Timber at Hartburngrainge, Whittle Dean, Tyne Banks, Dipton & the Devils Water should be attempted.  Much of it is at maturity and some of it going back.  Mr Parkin is much better, but still in a delicate state, & I much doubt his power to undergo the fatigue which an active discharge of his duties, over such an extent of woodlands would require.



An estimate of young trees wanted in Dipton Plantation



For replanting 12 acres

10000 oaks         from 1 1/2 to 2 feet

10000 larches                    2 do

 5500 ashes                      2 do

 4000 Scotch Elms                2 do

 2000 Birches & Alders           1 1/2 do

 1500 poplars                    2 do

  500 Spanish <&> Horse chesnuts 2 do

35000



For filling up young Plantations in Dipton Wood

2000 Larches                     2 feet

1000 Oaks                        2 do



For plating 1 acre 1 rood adjoining Newshield Bank Plantation at Alston Moor

1000 oaks   1 1/2 to 2 feet

 800 larches         2 do

 600 ashes           2 do

 500 elms            2 do

 200 poplars         2 do

 200 spruce          1 1/2 do

3300



1st November 1833