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ART. V. Some Notes on the Discovery of the Foundations of an Ancient Building near the Park Farm, Dalton-inFurness. By JOHN FELL, Dane Ghyll.

Read at Kendal, July 7th, 1881.

IN

IN Close's edition of West's Antiquities of Furness, the following allusion is made to the remains of an ancient building, situated near the Park Park Farm, Dalton-inFurness:

"It is possible there was a consecrated edifice containing one or more baths, situated about a mile to the north of the chapel of St. Hellen, in a meadow called Chapel Meadow, near the park; for there, in 1801, part of a leaden aqueduct with numerous branches was found within the area of an ancient building. The pipes were about an inch and a half in diameter, and had probably been carried to a small perennial spring which is still called 'Holywell,' or to some other convenient place for water, which is now unknown."

He

In 1879 there existed a mound in the meadow on the Park Farm, which is still known as "Chapel Meadow," although it also bears the name of "Calty Crooks." This mound was covered with grass, and until it was turned over in that year for some examination of its contents, it was regularly mowed as part of the meadow. Mr. Slater, the occupier of the Park Farm, which is the property of the Duke of Devonshire, represents an old family who have resided for many generations on this farm. has been familiar with this Chapel Meadow all his life, and in his opinion it will be about one hundred years ago since a quantity of stones were removed from the proximity of the mound, and used in the original farm house or its adjacent buildings. Some of these stones were carved, and others seemed to have formed parts of an arch. They have now been lost sight of, as these farm buildings have fallen into disrepair, owing to an adjacent Hematite Iron

Mine

Mine having broken down the surface of the ground, and rendered them no longer habitable. The whole of the stones were not removed at that time from the meadow or neighbourhood of the mound; but when the new farm buildings were being erected they were hunted up, and have been used in their construction. They were all hewn stones of the upper red Permian sandstone of the locality, but beyond these facts, and that there was no appearance of their having been at any time previously set with mortar, they had no specially noticeable features or peculiarities. The operation of turning over the mound disclosed the foundations of a building, which are somewhat interesting and remarkable. Chapel Meadow is situated at the northern end of the Goldmire Valley, a little beyond its narrowest point, and it cannot be very far distant from the line of road which is said to be Roman. It is narrated in Close's editions of West's Antiquities of Furness. "In the month of May, 1803, two labourers in making a deep capacious drain discovered an ancient road paved with large stones at the head of Goldmire." This road would almost, without doubt, form the ancient highway from the Furness district into Cumberland. Portions of Chapel Meadow are on sound dry ground, while other portions are of peat moss and boggy. In the worst part of this portion of the meadow the ancient building under consideration has been placed. The disinterred foundations, which are but little below the present level of the surrounding ground, disclose a rectangular building facing towards the west on its longest side. It has a length of about eighteen feet, and a width of ten feet four inches. The rectangular form is broken by a projection which stands outwards on the eastern side, about three feet, and there appears to be pretty clear evidence of steps for the admission of persons to the main part of the building. The whole length of the structure on the western face rests on single logs of oak, which have been rudely squared, and

are

are from about seventeen inches in breadth to fifteen inches in thickness. These logs are placed on the peat moss without any other consolidating foundation. The masonry, which consists of good-sized blocks of hewn stone, (red sandstone of the upper Permian), is laid on the oak logs. These are perfectly sound, but have become black, like ordinary bog oak. The sandstone could be obtained within a comparatively short distance, and is identical with that employed in building Furness Abbey, distant about one mile, and in the lower part of the same valley. There are no signs of mortar having been used in the foundations of this building, and Mr. Slater informs me that none of the stones removed at various dates from its vicinity showed any signs of mortar. No roof timber has been discovered, but portions of broken slate of rough quality have turned up in some abundance with large round holes drilled in each, as for a peg of wood or iron. There were signs of wood ashes, but these had more the appearance of being the relics of the fires of a cooking place than of charred or burnt roof timbers. At the distance of a few paces other foundations were disclosed in turning over the mound, but quite dis-similar from those just described, the stone employed being limestone in an undressed condition. These foundations do not rest on any logs of wood, nor do they seem necessarily to belong to the same structure or period. A rough stone drain was also disclosed, but this again bears no reliable evidence of its identity with the principal building. Surrounding it, and extending over a considerable area, there appears to have been a stockade of strength. It is composed of oak stakes or piles carefully pointed, of from three to five inches in diameter, and possibly of five to seven feet in length, which have been firmly driven into the boggy soil. The length of these stakes is conjectural, as they have decayed above the ground, although that portion remaining in the peat moss is quite sound. The marks of the axe, or some sharp cutting instrument, are quite

visible

visible on their pointed ends. For years they have been gradually diminishing all round the building, as the inconvenience caused by them to mowing the hay, led to their being pulled out; but at the eastern entrance to the main building a large bunch of them remains untouched. It is extremely difficult to conjecture what the object could be of such a defensive structure as this stockade would form, if there is any ground for supposing, as Mr. Close does, that this was "a consecrated edifice containing one or more baths." If these stakes had been intended to carry any weight, it seems unlikely that they would have been so carefully pointed. If they have been set to carry any approach or footway over the boggy ground, it is fair to assume that there would have been evidence of some regularity and order for such a purpose; but Mr. Slater, who remembers the place well for over fifty years, states that there was never any sign of regularity, and that they were driven into the ground all round the building very much in the same manner as the bunch which remains fortunately untouched.

About one hundred years ago, in digging in the meadow, a leaden pipe was found connecting the fine spring of water rising in the wood above the new farm house, and known as the spring wood, with the ancient building. This spring may be three hundred yards distant. The "Holywell," which still remains, and which may be two hundred yards away, in an opposite direction, has no evidence of any connection by leaden pipe or otherwise; and it is scarcely conceivable that in constructing the railway or in draining such connection could have escaped observation had it existed. The pipe from the spring in the spring wood is still visible above the new farm house, and conveys water to the present day. The branch of pipes to which Mr. Close alludes has disappeared, and its present whereabouts does not seem to be known.

In the course of the excavations of the foundations of

this ancient structure many interesting objects were discovered; more especially, two keys may be mentioned, both of bronze-one in perfect preservation, the other somewhat injured both however of similar type and character. The larger key when discovered had all the appearance of having been concealed under the stone under which it lay -no locks or hinges of doors have so far been seen, although the whole mound was carefully turned over. In addition to the keys, a piece of ancient tile, several fragments of pottery, some melted lead, a millstone, and a portion of one fractured, were found; some bones also were turned up, a piece of lead pipe, and a fine specimen of lead ore were also discovered. The search was carefully conducted, and so far as the mound in the meadow is concerned, probably little was left untouched or undiscovered. The description now given contains the facts, so far as the search, time, and articles discovered are concerned. The writer of these notes must leave to more experienced hands the settlement of the purpose and date of the ancient building, which has been disclosed in this meadow by the exploration of its grassy mound.

After this paper had been read, the various articles found were exhibited by Mr. Fletcher-Rigge. The prevalent opinion was that the two keys were mediæval, probably of the fourteenth century. The following of the same discovery by Mr. Thompson Watkin is interesting.

"Mr. West further states, that in 1801 part of a leaden aqueduct, with numerous branches, was found within the area of an ancient building, containing one or more baths, in a meadow near Park Farm. In August, 1879, some men, digging for stone for building in this meadow, came upon stone foundations, laid on massive pieces of oak, presumed to be part of the buildings named by Mr. West. A quantity of light slag, evidently smelting refuse; lead ore, in a pure state; a carved bronze key; a mason's pencil; and a number of bones were also found at the same time. The site adjoins the Furness Railway,

and