The Henson Journals

[41]

Monday, October 13th, 1924.

We (i.e. Ella, Mrs Dillon, Miss Macbeth, & I) motored to Lumley, and lunched with the Scarbroughs. After the ladies had been shown over the Castle by Lady S., we all made an expedition to the ruins of Finchale Priory. The Board of Works, which has now been in charge of the building for some years, has carried on much excavation, & done much work on the ruins. The beauty of the situation, shown to perfection in a sunny afternoon, & with the wooded banks of the Wear resplendent in autumnal colouring, formed a noble framework for the relics of medieval piety. Meade–Faulkner arrived just as we were leaving. He told me that he had satisfied himself that our claim to possess the very body of St Cuthbert could not be justified! This is alarming enough, but he is a queer creature, who would certainly be strongly disposed to accept any Roman claim as against an Anglican! But it would be extremely disconcerting if he made his opinion public just now.

We had a dinner party. Lady Sybil Eden & Mr Nairne Clark, the Vicar of Hunstanworth, stayed the night: and the two men from the House at the gates came to dine. The weather, which began with fog, ended with fog, but the intervening hours were bright, and the temperature was warm.

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