The Henson Journals

[5]

Saturday, August 18th, 1928.

A calm morning, and distinctly warmer than yesterday.

I realized with a shock that my holiday was nearing its end, & no beginning made on the Congress Sermon & Paper! We motored to Chillingham, and had tea with the Earl & Countess of Tankerville. They showed us the Castle which is most interesting. It is a smaller edition of Lumley, but is more ancient, the oldest part of it dating from A.D. 1150. The pictures & furniture are worthy of the building, though much of what was best, including all the papers, was taken away rather mysteriously under the late earl, [symbol] who (if I understand Lord Tankerville rightly) was the victim of a nefarious Evangelical Dutch woman introduced to him for his soul's benefit by Lord Radstock. The dressing–room is exquisite in its proportions and in its appointments. Here was an fascinating little picture of Charles I by Vandyck. We mounted to the roof of the tower, & descended to the darkness of the dungeon. The first commanded a noble view and the last disclosed the grim cruelty of the feudal past. After tea we walked into the park to see the famous herd of white cattle, & were fortunate enough to encounter them not far from the house, & to get fairly close to them. They were white, not very large, with horns of an archaic type. I counted 31. Lord T. said there were about 45.

[6]

These cattle are known to have lived in Chillingham since the 13th century, & were the only survivors of the wild cattle which once roamed over England in larger numbers. They are carefully guarded against admixture of blood from other stocks. The experiment of crossing individuals with other breeds has been tried, but I gather with no very encouraging results. The late Earl had a narrow escape from being killed by one of the bulls, for, persuaded by his guest Breadalbane to hunt one of them instead of a stag, the furious animal charged & killed his horse.

The bulls fight with one another furiously, & inflict grievous wounds, while the noise of their combat fills the forest. The herd is an heirloom.

In the little parish church just outside the Park Gates there is a sumptuous tomb of Lord Grey of Wark & his lady. He was prominent in the Wars of the Roses. [symbol] Beyond a Norman Portal, there is nothing of interest in the Church itself, but just outside it, in the churchyard is a small stone trough, designed for holding water vinegar in which, at time of plague, the people might cast their coins, & so get them disinfected.

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