Journal entry – John Grey – 18 Mar 1834

Tuesday 18th March



After attending to business in the Office & settling with Mr Hunt, accounts for Work he had measured off in different parts of the Estate, for which he commonly makes his payments at Hexham on the Market day, I went out to Dilston to see the Work that is going on at the new road & laying out the Garden, which I have thought it best to put into a state of forwardness, although the House is not built, because it forms a place of deposit for any Soil that is to be removed, & may be made useful, even this year, in producing Potatoes & Vegitables.



Old Teasdale found it difficult to get a house for the following year, & being desirous of having one near his present farm that he might look after his Crop, pressed me to let him have that now occupied as a public house, of which the occupier had notice to quit, it being intended to remove or pull it down, after the alteration of the turnpike road, which will shortly be removed to a distance from it.  Thinking it would be an accommodation to the poor man, and that if removed, it could not be rebuilt so as to be occupied this year, the present tenant having possession till May Day, I let it & the small Garden to him at £5 rent, subject to the approbation of the Board. This house stands in a part of the Ground hereafter to be occupied with the Receivers House and as that Ground will be cut up & diminished in value for some time, by the line of new road running through it, & in some degree permanently, by piece of plantation, which will much improve the Site of the Ruin, and look of the place generally, perhaps it may not be thought unreasonable that the rent of the old public house should go to the Receiver, as a compensation which another tenant would have required.  I merely offer this however as a suggestion, but without making any claim for compensation.



The river being very low, I went round the embankments to examine their condition after the Winter floods. That round Widehaugh & the junction of the Devils Water is in excellent state, the work of heightening it whenever it was required, having been done in a substantial manner & at a cost, according to the account finally settled this morning of £106.9.10.  The Estimate received by Mr Hooper was £130. The Embankments both to the West & east sides of Devils Water, are now I think perfectly secure, except perhaps one part on the east side, where Mason Work has been used instead of an earthen mound, which was evidently the only part in danger, when I went round the whole at the time of the highest flood I have yet seen.  The shores of the river must be objects of constant attention, as a single breach made in such sandy soil, if not attended to, may cause incalculable mischief.  As they are now coming into a gradual slope with a firm foundation, I trust that by attending to the effect of each flood upon them, much less expense will be incurred in preserving them in future.