Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 1.djvu/260

BEHWICK-FBIOB. IN BERWICKSHIRE. church has recently been enlarged, and there are four other churches, besides Free and United Presbyterian churches, and an Episcopal chapel recently opened. Near the town on the south is North Berwick Law, a conical hill rising to the height of 8<>o t< t. Its eastern side is a gradual slope, and covered partly with wood: its western and southern sides are steep and nigged. Not far off is i Berwick House, the fine seat of Sir Hew Dal- rymple. Two miles to the north-east of the town, on the brow of the sea cliffs, are the ruins of the famous and formidable castle of Tantallan, once the seat of the Douglases. It is not known at what time or by whom this fortress was erected. The exterior walls, forming a quadrangle, are of immense thickness, and still nearly perfect. Several of the doorways are in the Saxon style of architecture. The sea surrounds it on three sides, and on the other side were two deep ditches crossed by draw- bridges. The popular conception of its strength is ox- pressed in the saying " Ding down Tantallan! Slak' a brig to the Bass." This stronghold was the scene of same of the incidents in "Mannion." It was besieged in 1528 by James V., but without success. After standing impregnable for centuries, it was destined to fall by the hands of the Covenanters, who besieged, took, and dis- mantled it in 1639. It was purchased by the Dalrymples soon after 1700, and still remains in their possession. A little to the west of the town are some remains of a Cis- tercian nunnery, founded in the middle of the 12th century by Duncan, Karl of Fife. Its value at the period of the Reformation was about 220 per annum. The remains consist of massive portions of the wall, now surrounded by trees and shrubs. There are some ruins of a chapel near the harbour. The Bass Bock lies about 2 miles off the coast, opposite Tantallan Castle. Craig- Leith Island also lies near. The par. is 3 miles in length from E. to W., with n breadth of 3i miles. BERWICK-PI! 1 i > 1 ; . .V BEHWCK-PHIOB, Oxford- shire. BERWICK-SALOME. Ste BEEKICK-SALOME, Ox- fordshire. BERWICKSHIRE, a seaside co. of Scotland, lying at its south-eastern extremity, on the border of England, and bounded on the N. by the co. of Huddington, on the N.E. by the German Ocean, on the S.E. by the co. of Northumberland, from which it is separated by the river Tweed, on the S. by the co. of Roxburgh, and on the W. by that co. and part of Edinburghshire. In form it is nearly an oblong, extending in length from E. to W. about 31 miles, and about 19 miles at its greatest breadth. It has a coast line of about 25 miles, its circuit inland being 100 miles; and it comprises an area of 483 square miles, or about 339,300 .- acres. It is situated between 65 36' and (5 68' N. lat., and between 2" 6' and 2" 55' W. long., and has a population according to the census of 1861 of 36,614, having increased gradually since the comn ment of thu century, when it had 30,206. The British tribes named Ottadini occupied this district at the period of the Roman invasion. Under the Romans it was in- cluded in the division I'*"' , '. In the 6th century it was invaded by the Saxons, who made tln-7i. masters of it, and settled there. The town of li< rwi< k is considered to have been founded l>y them. After long forming part of the kingdom of Northum)>riu, the dis- trict was ceded in 1020 to Malcolm II., King of land. Its wealth and importance increasing, attract. -.1 ninny Norman and Anglo-Saxon settlers, who became the founders nf noldc tinnilies still existing. At thr same ]>< ri<>d thu trade of Berwick was promoted l>y the settlement there of Flemish and other foreign merchants. From that epoch the county became the scene < quont warfare, and its history would bo the history of the nntional and border contests between En^lan Scotland down to tho union of the two countries. The county is popularly divided into three districts the Morse, Lammermuir, anil Lau>l< rdale : a division which is based on difference* of pip (a n ; iri-h," or, as some Buy, to "marsh"), is that part of the county lying bi-twt en the Tweed on the south, and the Lammermuir on the no: a level fertile tract of above 120,000 acres. It U most extensive tract of level land in Scotland, and i I a state of high cultivation. The Lamnu-rmuir dut occupies the northern part of the county, and coniu: the bleak and moory range of tho Laurmi rn partly forming Bheepwalks, with hero and there a in cultivated spot. The range is forjnod by rocki of primary formation, chiefly slate, with trap rising peaks at various points. The greatest elevations arc following : Criblaw, which rises to the < feet, and is the loftiest hill in the ran): 1,500 feet; Clinthill, overlooking tho western put the county, 1,544 feet ; Tippet-knowes, 1 Hill, 1,090 feet; Manslaughterlaw, 1. -unilaw, 912 feet. Cowdon-knowes. MarlsUuII Bemorside Hill, on the south-west, are of >m 1,000 to 1,200 feet. Dunselav. Hill command fine views over the Mer.- of Lauderdale lies in the western part of the oour. and is partly hilly and partly cultivated. Its namr derived from tho Leader water, which Hows I; coast of Berwickshire is rocky and dangerous," accem. only at a few points. Its direction hum the mouth tho Tweed is north- wt-s; it is more westerly to the border of KaM : the coast are Berwick harbour, Burnmouth, Kytoon Coldingham, and Coves. Th wickshire arc the Tweed, the Leader or T Whitadder and 1'. forms part of the south boundary <! the receives the waters of all the i It is not navigable, but from and the agreeable scenery on its tanks, it is < - of the most beautiful rivers - i good salmon. The Leader, v mcrmuir hills, runs southward ti trict named after it, and joins tin west extremity of the county, a little Abbey. The sources of th Lothian, those of the Blnckadder on the sooth Lammermuir. The two streams u Jail into the Tweed about 3 n: The Eve runs to the south-' he cai of Haddingtonshiro, falling into There is a small loch at Coldingh and several rivulets in different parts of the rivers contain abundance of fish, and the valuable salmon fisheries. hire in minerals. Limestone, sandstone, and found in various parts of the conn*. of gypsum are obtained at Chirnside marl at Mcrtoun, and slate ot Traces of copper and qnicksilvi i h The coast of Berwickshire oilers an the geologist, in the primary and secondary fon;. inuir i The two j tion are las on tin north, n the south side of the hills. 'I generally cold and dry. It occupies With f basin of the Tweed, which is i'.ll. and west. the lileak hills in the north, tin- tile county has a fertile soil, and is in a cultivation. Some spots of low ground are brought under cultivation, and nun li I. Tin n- is no chalk- 7i"l purposes of agriculture i, imported. A good ing on gravel or clay, is touud aim principal rivers. The farms ai to 1,000 acres, a7id are hcU The I- i - of cultivation have 1" i n effect) .1. '1 he jirese agriculturists do not beloni; to the class ei portrayed by a critic of the last eentuiy and living in mud. and having muddy In comm piece land, on which they keep a