Journal entry – John Grey – 23 Dec 1833

Monday 23rd December



Arranged the covenants of Farms that are advertized to let, giving a written statement of them & plan of each farm to the persons appointed to show them to the Public.  Fixed with Mr Parkin the kinds of trees suitable to plant at Throckley, which as well as the Thorn Quicks for fencing, I wrote for to Fallas of Gateshead desiring them to be sent to Mr Stephensons’s care the very respectable tenant there.   I also wrote to him, desiring that they might be preserved from frost, & that he would take means to obtain offers for planting from Workmen by the piece & forward them to me.  Sent to Hexham also, for some handbills, giving notice to Workmen of the planting at Dipton.   As soon as I was at liberty went to see the effects of a high flood, now that the river has fallen, upon the embankments.  No damage at all has been done to them or the Wears, but in some parts the shores of the river, where they are composed of a mere deposit of sand, which has been lately sloped & not yet secured by a covering of grass, have been broken into holes, & this may be expected from very high flood so long as the ground is unprotected by rough grass or dwarf willow, & must be attended to be repaired.  In some places where there was a great load of sand to remove before a proper sloping bank could be formed, I had left it exposed to the action of the floods, on purpose that they might save us the labor of doing so, which in this instance has been effected to a considerable extent.  It is however a mischievous river & difficult to manage.  Gathering its contributions from a great extent of mountainous country, it comes down so suddenly & so rapidly as to be a constant source of apprehension & watchfulness.