National Gazetteer (1868) - Brinkburn

"BRINKBURN, a parish partly in the eastern division of the ward of Coquetdale, and partly in the western division of the ward of Morpeth, in the county of Northumberland, 4 miles to the S.E. of Rothbury. It is situated in a picturesque district on the N. bank of the Coquet, and comprises the townships of Brinkburn High Ward, Low Ward, and South Side. It is the site of a Dominican priory, founded in the reign of Henry I. by William de Bertram, which flourished till the Dissolution, and had a revenue of £77. It was given to the Fenwicks by Edward VI. The ruins of the building stand in a romantic spot close to the river, which here takes a winding course, at the foot of a hill. They consist of the walls of the church, which was cruciform, the tower, and several arches and columns. The north and south entrances exhibit the Norman style. Valuable beds of limestone and coal exist in this parish. A branch of Watling Street crossed the Coquet near this place, and the foundations of the bridge are still traceable. There are also vestiges of a Roman station on the hill. Some antiquaries suppose that this place was the scene of the defeat of the Danes by Athelstane in 938. The principal seat is Brinkburn Abbey, the residence of Major H. Cadogan."