is behind one's back to the north.
]

"The Deane of _York_ hath by Impropriation the Personage of _Pykering_, to
the which diverse Churches of Pykering Lith doith Homage.

"The Castelle Stondith in an End of the Town not far from the Paroch
Chirch on the Brow of the Hille, under the which the Broke rennith. In the
first Court of it be a 4 Toures, of the which one is Caullid Rosamunde's
Toure.

"In the inner Court be also a 4 Toures, wherof the Kepe is one. The
Castelle Waulles and the Toures be meatly welle. The Logginges yn the
ynner Court that be of Timbre be in ruine, in this inner Court is a
Chappelle and a cantuarie Prest.

"The Castelle hath of a good continuance with the Towne and Lordship
longgid to the _Lancaster_ Bloode: But who made the Castelle or who was
the Owner of afore the _Lancasters_ I could not lerne there. The Castelle
Waulles now remaining seme to be of no very old Building.

"As I remembre I hard say that _Richard_ the thirde lay sumtyme at this
Castelle, and sumtyme at _Scardeburgh_ Castelle.

"In the other Part of the Toune of _Pykering_ passing over Brook by a
Stone Bridg of v Arches I saw 2 thinges to be notid, the Ruines of a Manor
Place, caullid _Bruses-Haul_ and a Manor Place of the _Lascelles_ at _Keld
head_. The Circuite of the Paroch of _Pykering_ goith up to the very
Browes of Blackmore [Blackamoor was the old name for the moors north of
Pickering], and is xx miles in Cumpace.

"The Park by the Castelle side is more then vii Miles in [qu: circuit],
but it is not welle woodid."

The site of the Manor House of the Bruces appears to be in a field to the
west of Potter Hill where hollows and uneven places in the grass indicate
the positions of buildings. The fine old Tudor house of Wellburn near
Kirby Moorside until recently was in a ruinous state, and might possibly
have disappeared after the fashion of Roxby and this Hall of the Bruces,
but it has lately been completely restored and enlarged, and although its
picturesqueness has to some extent been impaired owing to the additions,
they are in the same style of architecture as the original building, and
in time will no doubt mellow down to a pleasanter companionship.

It was in the first year of the reign of Elizabeth that the registers of
Pickering were commenced. The yellowish brown parchment book is in fairly
good preservation, and commences in the usual manner with this carefully
written inscription.

"The Register Boke of