Report – Thomas Wardell – 20 Aug 1746

The Boundary and Limits of the Barony of Bulbeck alias Bolebeck as Rid and perambulated in August 1746



Copy taken from an Old Plan  Oct 1835



The Boundary and Limits of the Barony of Bulbeck alias Bolebeck in the County of Northumberland belonging to George Baker Esquire as Rid and perambulated by him, his Tenants and Others, in August 1746. Present the said Mr Baker, Mr. John Dixon of Durham, Mr Wardell of Fishbourn his Land Steward, Mr Humphrey Hopper the Bailiff of the said Barony with a Broad Sword, Mr. Humphrey Hopper Jun. with a Standard, Thomas Huck the Piper, Robert Dixon, Joseph Harrison, James Morrow, and Robert Clarke, all of Black Hedley, John Clarke, of Cronkley, George Borrow of Shotley Field, Edward Hinkley of Unthank, George Swinburne, of Eddis Bridge, and Maughan of Cold Rowley, two  with Axes, two with Spades, and the rest with white Sticks George Dodd Mr Bakers Game Keeper and many of the Freeholders of the said Barony, and other Persons. 



      August 20th 1746. Began at Eddis Bridge a Freehold Estate within the said Manor, belonging to Sir James Clavering Bart, in the mid Stream of the River Derwent and down the said River, and under the Arches of Allensford Bridge and Shotley Bridge following the course thereof as the same runneth along and by the several inclosed Freehold  grounds hereafter mentioned all within the said Manor, that is to say, the said Eddis Bridge, Durhamfeild, belonging to Mr.Cockerill, Readshaw, part of Crook Oak belonging to Sir William Middleton Bart. Common, Crook Oak belonging to Mr. Richardson and Mr Joseph Richardson, the other part of Crook Oak, Waller, alias Wallish Walls, Moss Wood, Allensford, South alias

Whole Rowe, all belonging to Sir Wm Middleton, the Forge belonging to John Crowley Esqr, and part of the Field Head called Sigs Haugh, belonging to Mrs Andrews, Widow, Laings Loaning belonging to Mr John Wilkinson, the other part of the Field head and Shotley Field belonging to the said Mrs Andrews, Haugh Cleugh also to her three Daughters, Margarey, Eliz'th and Cathrine Andrews,  Whinney House, belonging to Mr Ralph Stobbs, Carrshields and Hill Top belonging to Mr John Hall Stevenson and to Ann his Wife and to Miss Frances Stevenson, thence to a place where a  Rivulet called the Mere Bourn, runs into the said River Derwent which forms there the most Easterly point of the said Boundary. thence westward up the said stream of the said Mere Bourn as the same runneth along and by Freehold Grounds called the Fine belonging to the said Mr. Stobbs, and certain commons within the said Barony to a little Syke or hollow Way called Walker Shank, and thence turning almost South to a place where formerly a House stood called Armstrongs House of which there does not now remain the last appearance, thence Northward to a place called the Gray Mare, thence Southward to Backworth Letch and down the Road to Kilnpot hill, thence Northwest cross Fairle May Bourn Heads to Willy Syke or Letch or Dowdon Bourn, thence up Dowdon Bourn to a place where two hollow ways meet within a few paces of a Hedge made by the Owners of a freehold Estate called Highfartherly and up to the Syke nearest  to the old inclosed ground, then to the said Hedge and cross the same to a place called Sandersons Currock, thence to Healey Bournhead, thence to a place called Smelt Syke and along the Syke a little to the Northwest to Healey Rig end, thence to a Bourn called Reaston Burn at a place where the same runs into and through the inclosed grounds, thence down the said Reaston Bourn to Healey Mill where Healey Bourn and Reaston Bourn join and are then called March Bourn, thence down the said March Bourn as the same runneth along and by

Easter Wood House Woods and other inclosed grounds at Slaley aforesaid to a place where there is set a Craggy Stone with the letter F on the South side and the letter B on the North side, thence eastward through certain inclosed Grounds belonging to Mrs. Allgood, to a Gate where there is set another Bounder stone with the same Letters thereon, thence from Bounder stone to Bounder stone with the said letters F. and B. set at proper distance, to the corner of a Hedge that divides Shilford grounds from grounds at Rawhouse Park, where is placed the last of the Bounder stones, and so along the Hedge of Shilford Park grounds belonging to Mr Baker, to Willy Gate on the Banks of the River Tyne, thence to the said Stream of the said River and so up the same for near three miles as it runneth along and by the several Freehold Grounds following, Viz. Shilford aforesaid, Broomhaugh, and Riding, belonging to Mr. Thos

Usher, Mr. John Ridley, Mr. Robert Surtees, Mr. Wilkinson Kirsop, Mr. Boutflower, Ralph Clavering Esqr, Mr. Brown, Mr John Davison, Mr Thomas Ward, Mr. Robert Ward and Mrs Allgood to a place called Willy Nook Wood, thence up the east side of Farn a Lee and cross Watling Street to Freehold lands at the Hills belonging to Mr Heron and so along the east end of Corbridge Common to a Freehold called the Lee, belonging to the said Mrs Allgood, and Mr William Ellerington, and along the Hedges thereof to a place called Castle Craggs, thence to Dipton Bourn and up the same as it runneth by a wear to Widgy Green, Todburn Steel, and Slaley to Dipton Bourn Head, thence along the East and South east side of the Hedges of inclosed grounds belonging to the Duke of Somerset, and through the inclosed Freehold grounds called Woodlaw, belonging to Greenwich Hospital, to the Devils Water, and so going up the same as it runneth along and by the several Freehold Grounds following Viz. Shield Hall belonging to Mr. Heron, a Smelt Mill, Ducksfield Hall, Middle Ducksfield  and Easten Ducksfield belonging to Walter Blacket Esqr Steel Hall belonging to Mr. Wilkinson Kirsop and Others, Gingles Haugh, belonging to Mr. Ralph Readhead and Emely, belonging to Sir James Clavering Bart. to a place where a Rivulet called West Emly Bourn runs into the said Devils Water, thence South east up the said Emly Bourn to a place called the Limestone Quarries, from thence to the Boundaries. 



      Returned then to the Limestone Quarries, thence to Emly west Bournhead, thence eastward to Wardlaw Pike, thence northwards by some Currocks to Acton mouth and down the same Acton Cleugh to a place about 400 yards below the Quakers Shield, thence North in a direct line to the top of the Hill, thence to another Currock near the Quakers Intack, thence eastwards through a part of the said quakers Intack to a great Stone called Martins chair, thence southward to West Cow Bourn head down the same to a place where it and the east Cow Bourn join, But let it be observed that this riding from Acton Cleugh to where East Cow Bourn and west Cow Bourn join was objected to by Sir Thomas Clavering so that Mr. Baker and the said Sir Thomas Clavering did agree that the ground in dispute should be determined by Mr Humphrey Hopper and a Mr Marshall and that they should fix stones to determine the Boundary for the future which they placed according as appears by the plan  and determine the Boundary between Mr Baker and Winningshill  Common from where the east Cow Bourn and West Cow Bourn join, down the same to the flat Gap between Winnings hill and Aspershields Grounds, thence N.E. for a little way to a Gate and through the same, over a Wall that has been built about 42 years at Aspershields aforesaid and on the inside thereof, along, by an old Dyke cast still very fair to be seen when the hedge or Wall which divided the Antient inclosed grounds there from the Common called Rainlaw formerly stood to the Top of the Hill, to a place where the Old Hedge or Wall, and the said Wall which incloses the encroachment which is about 4 or 5 Acres, join and Cross the same to the Common, thence along the Antient inclosures of Aspershields aforesaid through two or three encroachments, thence to a place called Branshaw Bourn, thence through another encroachment about an Acre inclosed within a Wall about 43 years ago to a Gate called Millshields Gate, thence along and by the Antient inclosed Grounds of Millshields aforesaid belonging to Mr. Reed through the new encroachments, the One about two Acres, the other about Ten Acres, the one on the west side the other on the East side of the said Gate leading along the Park heads to Cronkley Freehold Estate belonging to the said Mr. Reed and through another encroachment there about 10 Acres, thence southwards along the Hedges of other parts of inclosed grounds at Cronkly aforesaid, through another encroachment there divided into several Closes containing about 56 Acres or 60 Acres to West wood Gate at Birkenside where Cronkley Bourn runneth into the inclosed Grounds, and down the said Cronkley Bourn to Dicks Haugh, thence westward along Cronkley Haugh Hedge to the aforesaid River Derwent and to the said Stream thereof and down the same for about 800 yards, then across the said River in two places and round two Haughs belonging to Birkenside and to the said stream of the said River Derwent at Eddis Bridge aforesaid where the said Boundary began. 



Of Newbiggen & Newbiggen Hope Part and Parcel of, though not adjoining to the said Barony.



Began at a place where a little Rivulet called Blackbourn runs into the said Devils Water and up the said Devils Water as it runneth along and by Newbiggen Hope inclosed grounds and Newbiggen hope common Freehold belonging to Robt Ord Esq to a place called the Hope and thence southwards up a Cleugh called Cross Beldon Cleugh to a place called the White Well, from the Hope to the aforesaid White Well, Mr Baker is separated

     

          Freehold Common belonging to Capt. Burly by Beldon Cleugh, thence down a Rivulet called Cross Beldon Bourn to a place  where the same runs into another rivulet called Beldon Bourn, from White Well to the joining [space left in copy] Beldon Bourn Mr. Baker is separated from an uninclosed common called Ridlam Hope belonging to Sir James Clavering by the said Cross Beldon Bourn thence eastward down Beldon Bourn to a place called the Tongue Head.

Beldon Bourn and another Bourn called Knuckton Bourn meet and there take the name DERWENT, and thence to the mid stream of the said river Derwent, from the place where a Rivulet Cross Beldon runs into [space left in copy] to the place where Beldon Bourn and Knuckton Bourn join and take the name of Derwent Mr. Baker is separated from an uninclosed common called Knuckton in the County of Durham by Beldon Bourn, Beldon Bourn at the joining with cross Beldon Bourn divides the counties of Northumberland and Durham as doth afterwards the River Derwent, then from the said stream of the river Derwent                          the same as it runneth along and by the inclosed grounds of Newbiggen belonging to Mr. Ord, to Baybridge where a rivulet called Readon Bourn runs into the said river Derwent, thence N. W. up the said Readon Bourn and by other parts of the said freehold Ground at Newbiggen to Readon Bourn head, thence in a direct line to Blackbourn head, and down the said Blackbourn to the place where it runs into the said Devils Water where the perambulation was begun. 

      N.B. From Baybridge to the Devils Water  Mr. Baker joins on some inclosed grounds at Birkside & Blanchland, or Birkside common, Common not Inclosed. 



The Manor of Bulbeck which lies together 

is in Circumference                            41 3/4 Miles 15 chains

Newbiggen & Newbiggin Hope is in Circumference  7 3/4        8



The Manor of Bulbeck which lies together contains 18962 acres 

Newbiggen and Newbiggen Hope                       1644

                                            Total 20606