Owners of historic ruins used to be reluctant to hand
them over to the State, under the provisions of the Ancient Monuments Protection Acts. But now that landowners are all crippled by heavy rates and still heavier taxes, the Office of Works is being overwhelmed with offers of buildings the care of which is too costly for a private purse. The department has been asked to take over the magnificent ruins of Furness Abbey, Norham Castle, Hermitage Castle, Lincluden Abbey, Dunkeld Abbey, Leven Castle—Queen Mary's prison in Loch Leven—the old Norman church at Albury, near Guildford, and Helmsley Castle. All these are ancient monuments that have played a part in our history, and even in these hard times the State is not so poor as to be unable to find a few hundred pounds for the care of them. The Office of Works has shown itself a most competent guardian of the monuments in its charge, and is preserving them for posterity at very small cost.
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