Ster VIII.

SUPPOSED ANCIENT ROAD FROM WORCESTER TO TENBURY, &c.

THIS supposed road probably went from Worcester*, through Oldbury, near Upper Broad Heath, in the parish of St. John, (thought to have been the Castra astivat, or summer quarters of the Roman garrison of Worcester); thence by Green Street Farm, in Hallow, through Wichenford; by Grimley, Holt, and Little Witley, to the Camp at Woodbury Hill, in Great Witley, and Cold Camp. It then either crossed the Teme at Stanford, and went along the south side of that river through Orleton, Eastham, and Rochford, to Tenbury; or continued from Great Witley along the northern side of the river, through Stockton, Pensax, Rock, Lindridge, and Knighton, to Tenbury. Both these lines were most probably used.

In the parish of ST. JOHN, in Bedwardine, otherwise Beodwardin, there are places called Ridgeway Meadow, Stan Field, Black Jack's Holet, The Eight Ridges, Oseby Meadow, The Yell, Oldbury, and Hogmore Hill. It is a question whether the proper authography of this latter place is not Ogmore, inasmuch as there are Ogmore Castle, Ogmor River, Ogmoor Down, Ogor, and Ogor River, in Glamorganshire; Ogwen River, in Carnarvonshire; Ogbury Rings, the parish of Ogbourn St. George, or

See pp. 1 to 54, on the ancient British, Roman, and other relics found at or near Worcester.

+ See pp. 34, 35, as to this camp.

See the "Folk-Lore."

§ See Gough's "Camden," second edition, Vol. i., p. 135.

Great Okeburn; and Ogbourne St. Andrews, or Little Okeburn, in the county of Wilts. These names may either be derived from the British word " Ogo," which means a cave, or from Ogmius, the Hercules of the Gauls. The Ogofau Mine, in Carmarthenshire, is supposed to have been worked by the Romans +.

To return to St. John's. In Chap. iv., "Hoar Apple Tree" is mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon boundaries of Wyke ‡, near Doferic, (Doveridge), where the Teme joins the Severn; and "Hoar Ley," in the boundaries of Lawern. It is stated, in Heming's "Cartulary," p. 349, and in Nash's " History," Vol. ii., App., p. 46, that on the Anglo-Saxon boundaries of Clopton there were places called Wulfric's Mere, Elfric's Mere, The Military Way§, Ceolan Way, and King's Thane Mere. The "Cartulary," in pp. 135, 349, also mentions" Old Street," on the Anglo-Saxon boundaries of Clopton; and in pp. 161, 349, "Port Street," on the boundaries of Lawern T. Nash says, that in "Domesday," Clopton (Cloptune) is stated to be held of the manor of Wyke, or Wiche. In Heming's "Cartulary," pp. 349, 350, both Clopton and Cotheridge are described as abutting upon Bridge-bourne Ford; Clopton upon-Lawern, and Teme; Cotheridge-upon-Teme, and Brainesford, or Bransford. I mention this, because the name Clopton is not now known by the inhabitants of the parish of St. John; and

There are Ogham Stones in the south of Ireland and in Wales, which are inscribed in the Ogham character, supposed to be Druidical. Some have said that they are so called from Ogham, the Hercules of the Gauls. See Lady Chatterton's work relative to these inscriptions, and also the "Journal of the Archæological Institute," Vol. iii., p. 175; Vol. vii., p. 409; and Vol. ix., pp. 116, 117. In the latter number it is said, "The designation Ogham Craobh, or branching type, had reference to the supposed resemblance of such inscription to a tree; the letters also, it is said, were named from trees, and the inscriptions were either on wooden tablets or on stones."

+ See the above Journal, Vol. vi., p. 55.

See "Codex Dip.," No. 65, 126 and 1358, as to Wick and Lower Wick. § Or Herepath.

|| Keel-way.

See "Codex Dip.," No. 126, 126 App., Vol. iii., &c., as to Lawern River and No. 272, as to Lawern Wyl (Well).

in the Index to the "Codex Diplomaticus Aevi Saxonici," it is considered to mean Clapton, in Gloucestershire.-See the Char ters 649, 666, and 724, relative to Cloptún (Clopton), in that very valuable work. It is called Cloptone in "Domesday Book." With respect to the name "Hoar Apple Tree," it appears that apple trees are of very ancient growth in this country, vide Whitaker's "History of Manchester," Vol. ii., Pp. 49-55. Dr. Davis, in his " Celtic Researches," says that the apple tree was considered by the Druids the next sacred tree to the oak, and that orchards of it were planted by them in the vicinity of their groves of oak *.

In the time of Wolstan, Bishop of Worcester, nick-named Reprobate (who lived in the reigns of Ethelred II., Edmund II., and Canute), there was a place near Droitwich called Thiccan Apel Treo (Thiccan Apple Treet).

With respect to the name Bedwardine, or Beodwardine, Dr. Nash derives it from the Saxon word Beod [Breod], bread or table, and Worthig, a large field or close; and states that it is often corruptly changed into Wardin or Worthen; and that Beodwardine signifies a portion of ground allotted to supply the table of the refectory with provisions. A question, however, may be raised, whether the prefix to the name Bedwardine does not come from the French bord," a border, and that it and the suffix mean the Bord-worthig, or boundary-field or close of the city. The parish of St. Michael, in Bedwardine, is also on the boundary of Worcester.

In HALLOW, Hollow, Hallage, or Halnegan, in Grimley, adjoining St. John's parish, there are places called Nether Street, Little Street, The Camp, Camp Leys, Green Street Farm, Copern Pit, Puck Meadow, Green Street Field and Meadow, Princevana Meadow, Princevana, Quincehill, Vineyard, Estbury, and Henwick or Hinwyke §. The name Hallow is spelled Halhagan, in the

* See "Botanical Looker-Out," by Mr. E. Lees, p. 14.

+ See Dr. Thomas's "Survey of Worcester Cathedral," &c., A. 60; also Chap. iv. of this work, as to several Hoar Apple Trees.

Vol. ii., p. 319.

§ See Heming's "Cartulary,” p. 574.

Codex Dip.," Charter, No. 209, Appendix, Vol. iii., which notices Salt Street, Grimeshill, Hoar Apple-tree, Portway, and Wontesdic, as boundaries thereof.

See Chap. iv., as to "Hoar-stone," and "Hoar Apple-tree,"

in this parish.

In WICHENFORD there is a place called Horsage Orchard. See pp. 149, 150, concerning Roman coins found there; and hereafter, in Chap. I., on the derivation of the name.

In GRIMLEY, are Upper, Middle, and Lower Camp Piece; Camp Orles, Camp Leys, Cobs Orchard, Cobs Coppice; Robin's Acre, The Nokin Piece, Lower Nokin Close, Round Hill, First and Second Stitches, Jack Stile Acres, Sturt Orchard, Ridge's Top, Okeridge, and Upper Okeridge Field, Ramplis Coppice, Wall Batch, Wall Croft, Wire Meadow, Warley, Warley Meadow, Wartly Moors; Big, Upper, and Lower Willtree, and Hares Moor.

This parish is called Grimanleáh, Grimanléa, and Grimgelége, in Anglo-Saxon charters. Heming, in his "Cartulary" pp. 148, 417, notices the Hearpath (Herepath), or Military Way, on the boundaries of Grimley. The name is spelled Grimanleh in "Domesday Book f." Dr. Nash says, Grimley means Grimes Field - "Wire" signifies a wear; there having been several wears on the Severn in days of yore §.

In HOLT, with LITTLE WITLEY, are Yell Coppice, Hawkeridge Wood, Battle Well Hopyard, The Baides, Round Hill, Turpin Field, Hares Hill Field, Hares Hill Orchard, Hurry's Oak, and Quinton. Holt is an Anglo-Saxon word, signifying a wood or forest. Holt Fleet, situated by the Severn, is derived from the Saxon words, "Holt," a wood, and "Fleot," a running

stream.

See "Codex Dip.," No. 266, 266 App., Vol. iii.; 514, 514 App., Vol. vi ; 515, 515, App., Vol. iii.; and 1069; also Grimanhyl, No. 466.

66

+ Domesday" also notices Gremanhil.

See p. 150, concerning ancient relics found in this parish; and also "Folk Lore."

§ See pp. 34-35.

On the Anglo-Saxon boundaries of Bentley.-(See "Codex Dip.," No. 498, 498 App., Vol. iii. ; and 570; and Heming's "Cartulary," Vol. ii., p. 352.)

In SHRAWLEY there are places called Round Hill, and The Folly. Its ancient name was Shraueley. "Immediately below Shrawley Court, now a farm-house, are some artificial mounds, known by the name of the Court Hills, or Oliver's Mound. They were raised to command a ford over the river Severn, and probably were occupied by a detachment of Cromwell's army immediately previous to the battle of Worcester*." These may have been ancient speculatories, referred to in the account of Rochford, near Tenbury.

In GREAT WITLEY, or Whitley, are Yells Meadow, Rad Meadow, Worston †, and Woodbury Hill. It was anciently called Wittley, Witlega, Witlea, and Vecelage; and in "Domesday," Witlege. Woodbury Hill, and Camp, are mentioned in p. 214; and "Hoar Grave," on the boundaries of Witline and Hartlebury, in Chap. iv.

In Heming's" Cartulary," p. 352, there is an account of places on the boundaries of Witley, in the Anglo-Saxon times called Killan Ridge, Silway, Yerdway, and the Fig-tree. They are likewise mentioned by Nash, Vol. ii., App., p. 49: and the Codex Dip.," No. 682, notices Cyllanhryge, or Kyllanhrygc. § The previously-described line of road from the Camps, on the Malvern Hills, to Woodbury Hill Camp, probably joined the Worcester and Tenbury line of road at or near Woodbury Hill.

In ABBERLEY, near Great Witley, there are Cobs Hole, Hares Hill, Upper and Lower Mogul Tree Bank, Little Warders, Sturt Piece, Ellbatch Orchard, Far and Near Ellbatch Band, Lower Ellbatch Coppice, Upper Ellbatch, Radge Coppice, Catterbatch Piece, Catterbatch Meadow ||, The Dotch, Dotch Meadow, Little Dotch, The Dots, The Vinne, Vinne Orchard, Big Vinne, Little Vinne, Great Viney, Sallens Field Orchard, Sallens Field, Coldwell Hill, Coldwell Rough, Coldwell Coppice, and Coldwell

Lewis's "Topographical Dictionary."

+ See Isaac Taylor's map, published in 1772.

See "Codex Dip.," No. 682.

§ No. 126, 126 App., Vol. iii,, 561, 682, 1369.

There is Catterhall, in Alfrick.--(See Iter vi., pp. 246, 247.)