Journal entry – John Grey – 25 Jan 1834

Saturday 25th January 1834



Set out early & rode by Fourstones, Allerwash etc to Grindon Hill- looked through the repairs of the Buildings there- proceeded to Grindon & taking the Tenant along with me, rode over the whole of that farm & Beamwham, both in Mr Woodmans occupation. These are in a high situation & very properly almost entirely laid to grass. I was glad to see the excellent effect produced by the cheap mode of sod draining adopted here last summer, & well executed by a man from Dumfrieshire.  The quantity of water carried off by means of those drains, is very great & the land which was previously a Bog, is even in this Season, comparatively firm & dry. The House at Grindon was rebuilt last Summer, & is now very comfortable, as well as the Offices, which have been repaired & improved.  I looked at the situation proposed for the School House to be built there, which is very much wanted in that remote district, to which the Board has signified their willingness to contribute the wood & £5 a year, but as yet inhabitants have not obtained an adequate Subscription.  I also examined the Lime Kiln which is in a dilapidated state & was to have been repaired last year, but has not yet been set about.  Rode over the Thorngrafton Allotments & obtained the Opinions of the Tenants respecting the conveyance of the Minerals etc to the Duke which they do not like, although they can hardly anticipate any annoyance from it during their Leases. I then from looking at Grindon Lake & some Roman antiquities in one of the stations connected with the Wall,  close by, descended into the Vale of the Tyne by Thorngrafton, taking in my way Eastward, Whitechapel, the most westerly of the Hospitals property in that direction, where preparation must be made for building this summer, which was deferred the last & will be done now on lower terms.  Lipwoodwell where I examined all building lately measured off & paid for, with which the old Tenant, Errington & his Wife too are well satisfied, agreeing that they could end their days happily there if the time would only allow them to pay their rents & live.  The improvement of the house & Offices has certainly given great additional comfort both to themselves & their Cattle & the work by Mr Howden has been well done.  I then proceeded through other farms on the property, by Haydonbridge, & reached home at 8 o’clock after a ride of 50 Miles, I imagine, rendered agreeable by the unusual occurrence of having little rain.  In the evening reported to the Board on the subject of the Conveyance of certain manorial rights to the Duke of Northumberland.