The Castle w^{ch} is the Bishops pallace stands on a Round hill w^{ch} has severall green walks round it, w^{th} high bancks to secure them one above another, and on the top are the towers. About the Middle of the hill is a broad Grass walk railed in and enters into a Dineing roome. There are very stately good roomes, parlours, drawing roomes, and a noble Hall, but the ffurniture was not very ffine the best being taken down in the absence of my Lord Crew, who is not a Barron of England but is a great prince as being Bishop of the whole principallity off Durham, and has a great Royalty and authority, is as an absolute Prince and has a great Command as well as revenue; his Spirituall is 5 or 6000^{lb} and his temporalls since his brothers Death makes it much more. He Comes sometymes hither but for the most part Lives at another Castle w^{ch} is a noble seate about 12 mile off, which is very well ffurnish’d and ffinish’d; he is the Governour as it were of the whole province. His pallace here makes a good appearance w^{th} the severall walks one below another with rows of trees, three or four descents and y^e wall at the bottom. Just by the Castle is a place for the assizes, 2 open barrs Lookes out into what is the space the College and Doctors houses are, and there is in the Middle a very ffine Large Cunduite, the water falling into the Cistern from 4 pipes, w^{ch} gives a pleaseing sound and prospect, it being arch’d with stone, and stone pillars, and Carv’d, and alsoe a high top arch ending in a ball; its the ffinest of this kind I have seen and so I must say of the whole Citty of Durham, its the noblest—Cleane and pleasant buildings, streetes Large, well pitch’d. The market Crosse is Large, a fflatt Roofe on severall Rows of Pillars of Stone and here is a good Cundit alsoe of stone. The walks are very pleasant by the river side. I went by its banck of one end of the town to the meeteing house w^{ch} stands just by the River, there was a Company of hearers at Least 300, w^{ch} on the Consideration of its being under the Dropings of y^e Cathedrall its very well. They have a very good minister there, but its New-Castle that has the greate meeteing place and many Descenters; they have two very Eminent men one of their Name was D^r Gilpin whose book I have read in, but he not being at home Could not have the advantage of hearing him.