dedicated to the great Celtic god Taute, or Mercury, when there were ubique per Angliam, plurima simulacra, according to the testimony of Cæsar."

The reviewer of Mr. Bowles's work in the "Gentleman's Magazine," February, 1829, p. 140, observes, "It is plain from Livy that Mercury, 'Evódios (or Vialis), was called among the Celts, Mercury Teutates, and both these tumuli (referred to by Mr. Bowles) were on the sides of roads. Cæsar proves the application; for he says of the Britons, that they made Mercury viarum atque itinerum ducem,' hence the case concerning Toot-hills is very satisfactorily made out."

In the parish of Nemnet in Somersetshire there is a remarkable barrow, called Fairy Toote, thought to be a work of the Druids. In Gough's Camden, in the account of Staffordshire, it is stated that "Theoten-hall, q. d., the hall of nations or pagans, now Tetnall [was] dyed with Danish blood in 911, by Edward the Elder." I mention this place, not that it belongs to the Toots, but because its name has been corrupted so as to correspond with the corrupted names of some of the Toots. It is possible that some of the other names which are given as coming from Toot would be found, could they be traced, to belong to other roots t

Before proceeding to describe several additional ancient British, Roman and Saxon relics which have been discovered in Worcestershire and its vicinity, I must say a few words on the meaning of certain names and terms which will very frequently occur in the course of the narrative.

in the "Codex Dip.:"-Tædsbroc, No. 561, 1369 (Tadsbrook); Tætlingtún, No. 676 (Tatlington), and Teottingtún, No. 146, &c. (Teddington), all in Worcestershire, and Tadanleáh, No. 603, 1092, 1094 (Tadley), Hants; Tadmærtún, No. 442, 448, 453, and 453 in App., Vol. iii., and 1195 (Tadmarton), Oxfordshire; Tatanbeorh, 366 (Tatborough), Dorset; Tatanbroc, 714 (Tatbrook), Oxfordshire; and Tatangráfes wurtwale, 347, 347 App., Vol. iii. (Tatgrove), Worcestershire.

Gough's Camden, Vol i., p. 105.

This observation may also apply to other schedules of names which are in this work classed under some particular root.

1st. Sacred or altar stones were called ambrosiæ petræ, or amber stones.

2nd. Boundary stones were called hoar stones.

3rd. Roman stations are in many instances known by their being called after some Roman game, such as the Quintan, &c. 4th. The name of Portway is common to the Roman military ways, and

5th. The ridgeways are considered to be either of Roman or ancient British origin.

The name of Castor, Cester, or Chester, generally indicates a Roman station; and Sarn, Street, Stane, and Stone, as frequently show the course of a British or Roman way*.

I. The ancient British ways are not raised nor paved, nor always strait, but often wind along the tops or sides of the chains of hills which lie in their course.

II. They do not lead to Roman towns, with which they have no connection, except when placed on the site of British fort

resses.

III. They are marked by tumuli, like those of the Romans, but often throw out branches, which, after running parallel for some miles, are re-united in the original stem †.

ANCIENT ROADS, CAMPS, AND REMARKABLE NAMES OF FIELDS AND PLACES.

As the ancient British, Roman, and Saxon roads and camps, in Worcestershire and its borders, have only been casually noticed in the previous part of this work, I have endeavoured to collect and consolidate all the principal facts relative to them; and have likewise given the names of several fields and places which lie in or near the lines of such roads.

See the late Mr. Hatcher's notes to his edition of the much disputed work intitled the "Itinerary of Richard of Cirencester," published in 1809, p. 105.

↑ Ibid., p. 101. The parallel branches most probably were made by the Romans and the primitive lines by the ancient Britons, as stated in the account of the primitive roads.

Iter VI.

WESTERN SIDE OF THE COUNTY.

ANCIENT ROAD AND CAMPS,

FROM

WALLSHILL CAMP AND MALVERN HILLS TO WOODBURY HILL.

In my account of the hills, I have likewise described the camps which lie on the western side of the county, in the line of the Malvern Chain, Cowley or Cowleigh Park (in Leigh), Old Storage and Round Hill* (in Alfrick), Lulsley, Ankerdine Hill, Whitbourne, The Berrow, Ridge, and Woodbury Hills. It is probable that an ancient ridgeway ran in that line near to the ridges of the hills, from Wall Hills, Colwall, and the Malvern Hills Camps to the camp at Woodbury Hill in Great Witley; for there are several pieces in Leigh, called Big Ridway, and in Suckley, called Walldridge; and adjoining the Round Hill in Alfrick there is a ridge called Wallshill Coppice (which is partly in Alfrick and partly in Suckley), and a lane, partly in Alfrick and . partly in Lulsley, called Green Street, and not far from thence is a rock called Osebury or Oseberrow, in Lulsley; therefore the probable line of the road in question, from Old Storage or Storridge, was

by Tundridge in Suckley, then by Catterhall, and along the east side of the Suckley Hill chain, between it and Buall or Bewill; Norgrove, Oughton or Eoten Wells; Gorway's Green, Cruise Hill §,

It is astonishing what a number of round hills there are in the county.

See the account of the Toot Hills, p 232, &c.

+ There is a place called Green Street in Harvington. See Iter XIX.

See "Folk-Lore," Chap. xii.

§ So called in a deed dated 27 Charles II.

or Cruse or Crewshill; the Round Hill and Walls Hill,—all in Alfrick; then to Batesbush and Osebury Rock, and across the ford at Knightsford bridge, to Ankerdine Hill, and the camp at Whitbourne, and also to the camps at the Berrow and Woodbury Hills, where it probably joined the ancient road from Worcester to Tenbury, hereafter described. A line nearly parallel to this road probably ran from the Bridges Stone, at the foot of Old Storage, in Alfrick, by Callow's Leap, and up the hill at the Knap or rising and by Patches (or Paches) Farm, leaving the Upper House and the Grimsend on the left; thence along Clay Green and by Payne's Castle, in Alfrick, and along Green Street, in Alfrick and Lulsley; thence onwards, by the Folly: Farm, in Alfrick, and Puttocks, otherwise Pothooks or Pauthooks, in Lulsley, and over the river Teme at Broadwas, Broadis, or Bradewas Ford; thence through Broadwas and Dodenham to the camps at the Berrow and Woodbury Hills. A cross-road appears to have formerly run out of the first-mentioned road, from Norgrove, or Gorway's Green, along a part which used to be called Cate Lane §, situated on the west side of the close by the Upper House, and thence by Grimsend to Payne's Castle. Another branch, instead of crossing the Teme at Puttock's End, most probably went from thence over the Red Cliff into Leigh parish, through the Devil's Pig-trough (which is a trench across a ridge of ground), and on through Leigh, Bransford (otherwise Brauntsford), and St. John's, to Worcester.

This line is principally distinguished by the names Wall Hill

There is a place called Crews-field in Dymock, Co. Gloucester.

+ Erroneously called "Bridger's Town" in Isaac Taylor's map, published in 1772. As much new red sand-stone rock was at an early period cut through at this part to form the road, I presume the bridge, which is of wood, acquired the name of the Bridge at Stone or the Bridge of Stone. It is called by the latter name in a deed dated 27th Charles II.

There are a great many places in Worcestershire and the neighbouring counties called "The Folly."

There is a place called Crate Lane in Stanford in the Teme. See Iter VIII. Perhaps these names mean Gate Lane; gate being a Saxon term for a road or way; it also means a wicket.

and Wall*, occurring in several parts of it, which are evidences of Roman possession.

The following names occur in this line :

:

In LEIGH there are Hocker Hill, Luckall's Orchard, Dead Loons, Upper and Lower Dead Loons, Hurfield, Hire Field, Great Towbury, Little Towbury, Wynns (or Wins) Grave, Pins Hill, Hovlands, Musmore Hill, Obersley, Old Ovens, Sich Orchard, Crumpenhill Meadow, Castle Green Suffield, Castle Hill Meadow, Big and Little Lonkers Ley, Mundole Orchard, Rowberry's Meadow, Boustens Field, Hollocks, Cracombe Hill, The Hoardings, Harding's Meadow, Quag Suffield, The Sturts, Warwick's Wish, The Mounds, The Nap (Knap), Cowley (Cowleigh) Park, Big Ridway Pieces, The Red Cliff, The Devil's Pig Trough, Tinker's Cross, Black Jack's Cave, Patch Hills, and Omber's Hill. This parish is called Lege, in "Domesday Book."

Dead Loons was probably the site of a battle or skirmish in the civil wars, as human bones and cannon-balls have been found there. It lies at the bottom of the east side of Old Storage. Dr. Nash, speaking of a military skirmish which happened in Leigh, says, perhaps it was "while the Parliament forces lay in this county, before Brereton summoned the town of Worcester, in March 1646. In September 1645, the king marched from Worcester to relieve Hereford, and obliged the Scots to abandon the siege**."

A cannon-ball was, a few years ago, found several feet

* The parallel line from Malvern Hills to Tenbury, &c., next hereafter described, is also so distinguished. (See the derivation of the name "Wall," and a list of Wall Hills, in the account of the Malvern Hills, pp 155, 158, 159.) + Otherwise Crumpal or Crumpton Hill.

See as to a hoar-stone in Leigh, in the general account of hoar-stones. § Several of the above-mentioned places are referred to in the "Folk-Lore," Chap. xii.

Most probably meaning Ambers Hill. (See what is stated relative to Ombersley, in the account of Ambrose Petræ, Chap. ii., and " Folk-Lore.") ¶ Vol. ii., p. 74.

** About two miles from Dead Loons, in Upper Sherridge, in Leigh, there is a piece of ground and a barn called Cromwells, vulgo Crumells, or Cromalls.