Journal entry – John Grey – 21 Dec 1833

Saturday 21st December



Rode in the morning to the west farm at Fourstones to inspect a wet grass field which I thought would be improved & increased in value by being drained, ploughed out & limed & then restored to grass,, conferred with the tenant who undertook to do so, marked out the line of drains & advised him respecting its management.  Proceeded to Allerwash to assist the tenant in managing the rotation  etc conformable to the new covenants of the ensuing lease, but found he was from home.  Proceeded to examine on the farms of West and East Brokenheugh, some fences & draining on each and returned to dinner at seven o’ clock.  There crosses the road near Allerwash Mill, a brook which after heavy falls of rain is extremely rapid & dangerous, frequently impassible, stopping the communication between one part of the farm of Allerwash & the other & being very inconvenient to the Tenants to the West who came that way to Fourstones & Hexham.  People have at different times been drowned in it.  It would be a good accommodation to the farm & neighbourhood, were an Arch thrown over it & the steep bank on each side a little lowered.  But as all the surrounding property belongs to the Hospital, I fear no other party would be found to contribute to the work & in these times of reduction, I dare hardly recommend the outlay.