Piece*.

In "Domesday" it is called Edboldelege. (See an account of Abberley Hill, in pp. 214, 215.)

In STOCKTON, anciently written Stotune, there are places named Upper Lousy Oak and Lower Lousy Oak +.

ROCK. Dr. Nash describes a service or sorb-tree, growing in this parish, and much venerated on account of its scarcity and supposed virtues. I understand that the fruit of it is, even to this day, hung up by the peasantry in their houses, under the idea of its being a protection against witchcraft. Nash says it is vulgarly called the “ Quicken Pear-tree," and stands in Wire Forest, about a mile from Mopson's Cross, between that and Dowles Brook. Mr. Lees has also noticed this tree at some length, and given an engraving of it, in his lecture "On the Affinities of Plants with Man and Animals," wherein he says it is vulgarly called the "Whitty," or "Witten Pear-tree," the leaves being similar to those of a withy or willow §. It is said the service or sorb-tree was first introduced into Britain by the Romans.

66

It has been supposed by some writers that St. Augustine's Oak stood in this parish. This point is discussed in my notice of Old Storage, Alfrick, and Abberley Hill. Rock was anciently called Alwinton, or Aka, from the Saxon " Ac," an oak. There is a chapelry in it called Heightington.

In LINDRIDGE there are Toot Hill, Castle Hill, Newnham or Neowanham, and Hichen Hill Coppice. It is said there is an ancient camp about three miles east of Tenbury, and within about half a mile of the Teme. Anciently the orthography of this place was peculiarly unsettled, being spelled indifferently, Lindrycg**, Linderyge, Linderycgeas, Lindrug, Lindruge, Lindrugge, and Lindrugg. It includes Yerdiston, Earston or Eardulveston,

* See "Malvern," p. 159.

+ See p. 148, concerning ancient intrenchments there.

Vol. i., p. 10, &c.

§ There is a tree of the kind in the grounds of Upper Arley Castle. See Whitaker's "History of Manchester," Vol. ii., pp. 49 and 62.

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

** See "Codex Dip.," No. 570.

++ See pp. 148, 149, as to an ancient relic found in this parish.

Knighton or Cnihteton, and Pensax. Duke Wifered, and Alta his lady, in Offa's reign, gave lands in Cnihtatan, and Neowenham, and Eardulfeston. In "Domesday Book," two of these places are called Ardolvestone and Cnihtetone.

In STANFORD (vulgo Stamford) there are Crate Lane +, Southstone Rock or Southern's Rotch, Devil's Den, and Hell Hole. Southstone Rock is a very remarkable mass of travertine or calcareous matter, situated near Stanford Court, by the river Teme. It is noticed by Nash, who likewise mentions the old hermitage that was in the rock, and the curious offertory dish§ that belonged to the chapel which stood on the top of the rock. Sir R. J. Murchison has described this rock in his work on the Silurian System. It was formed by a strong spring of water, impregnated with. carbonate of lime, which issues from its summit, and now runs down the other side of the mass. The late Mrs. Sherwood, in "Southstone Rock," graphically described the beauties of the district, and the interesting legendary story of the supposed witch of the Black Wood, or Devil's Den, in the time of Richard Cœur de Lion. The Den lies about a mile and a half from the hermitage, and is thus described by Mrs. Sherwood :—“ The Black Wood was a narrow dell, deeply enclosed in entangled woods, lying parallel with the valley of Southstone, yet somewhat lower down the stream. The country people, to this day, give it names which commemorate its former evil character. The Devil's Den is the mildest of the epithets bestowed on this sequestered scene." There is a remarkable place called Witchery Hole in the adjoining parish of Shelsley Walsh, otherwise Little Shelsley, which will be more particularly noticed in the "Folk-Lore."

With respect to Hell Hole, there are many remarkable holes and places with such a prefix in the county; for instance, Hell

The name is written Stanford, in the "Codex Dip.," No. 509, 509 App., Vol. iii.; and Stanford, in " Domesday Book."

+ See Alfrick, Iter vi., p. 239.

The seat of Sir Thomas Edward Winnington, Bart.

§ Also see the "Rambler in Worcestershire," published 1851, pp. 174, 175. Within a mile of the south-west side of the rock there is a place called the Camp, which is said to be British.

Hole Meadow, in Doverdale; Hell Hole, in the parish of Elmley Castle; Hell Hole and Hell Hole Meadow, in Hampton Lovett; Hell Ford, in Crome Dabitot; Hell Hole, in Knighton-on-Teme, near Tenbury; Hell Patch, in Upton Warren; Hell Hole, in Astley; Hell Church, in Clent; Hell Bank, between Stourbridge and Hales Owen; Hell Hole, in Warley Wigorn; Hell Hole, in Shelsley Beauchamp, or Great Shelsley; Hell Hole Coppice, in Clifton-on-Teme; and Hell Kitchen, in Newbold-on-Stour. In "The Rambler in Worcestershire," by Mr. John Noake, published in 1851*, it is stated, that in "Hell Hole" (the place in question), grows the plant called Devil's bit,' or, succisa pratensis. Tradition says that this plant was given to heal man of any deadly wounds; but that when Satan saw what numbers of the human race it deprived him of, he, in spite, bit the roots off, whereupon it miraculously grew without those usually necessary appendages; and this is the reason we find it growing apparently without roots."

In the hamlet of ORLETON, in the parish of Eastham, there are ten pieces of land called Wall Hill; likewise, a piece called Pendock Meadow. It was anciently written Arleton or Horeleton; and, in " Domesday," Alretune.

In EASTHAM, or Estham †, there are places called Bonfire Hill, Round Hill, Quince Hill, Ridgeway, and Castle Tump Meadow.

In ROCHFORD there are Vigo Meadow, Vigo Coppice, Camp, Camp Ashbed, Debdat Orchard, The Haggotts, Rome Hill, Tumpy Piece, Round Hill, Curter's Wall, The Gobbets, The Whurnhups, The Yeld, The Yeld Ashbed, Hardion Piece and Hardion Orchard. Rochford was a detached part of Herefordshire, but has been annexed to Worcestershire by the Reform Bill. It is said, in a little history of Tenbury, that, in a meadow close to Rochford churchyard there still exists a green mound on the river bank, thought to be the site of one of those forts called arces speculatoria, raised upon convenient spots for watch and ward.

In MAMBLE, at Soddington, ancient relics have been found *. In " Domesday" it is called Mamele.

In BAYTON, there is a place called Norgroves-end Farm. In KNIGHTON, or Cnihtatun-on-Teme, there are places called Cearn Owl, Mancroft, Hell Hole, Darnhill Orchard, Darnhill Homestead, Over Sale Meadow, Over Sale Field, Kit Laughton, and Upper Aston. Dr. Nash, in Vol. ii. of his "History," p. 437, says, the name Knighton means "the town of soldiery."

ANCIENT CAMPS ON THE NORTHERN SIDE OF THE COUNTY.

Most of the camps which lie on or near the northern side of the county, have previously been described in the account of the various parishes in which they are situated, such as those at Wichbury Hill, Clent Hill, Stourbridge Common, Kenvaur Edge, Wassal Hill, or Wars Hill, and Over Arley. In addition to these, we may add a camp laid down in the Ordnance Map, on the north side of Wolverley, near High Holbro'; and another called Camp Hill, near Birmingham.

* Vide pp. 146, 147, 148.

Iter IX.

ANCIENT ROAD FROM DROITWICH TO

STOURBRIDGE.

THERE is a line of road (mentioned in pp. 109, 110 of this work) which runs from Droitwich, by Hampton Lovett and Doverdale, through Elmbridge, Rushock, Chaddesley Corbett, Bluntington, Tan Wood Common, and across the valley at Hill Pool (where there formerly existed a viaduct), and then by Belbroughton, and through Brome, Clent, and the south side of Hagley parish, and over Harborough Common*, and through Pedmore and Old Swinford, to Stourbridge Common, and the camp called "The Church-yard," situate by Green's Forge. In one part, this road is called the King's Head Land.

The following names occur in this line :—

In HAMPTON LOVETT there are places called Hell Hole, Hell Hole Meadow, and Egg Hill. It was anciently called Hantone, Hanton, and Hante; and, in "Domesday Book," Hamtune.

In DOVERDALE there are Hell Hole Meadow and Round Hill. It was anciently called Lunuredale, and Doudale; and, in Domesday," Lunuredele. The name of this place is supposed to have been derived from the British words, "Dur" (water), and "Dal" (a valley), which are faithfully descriptive of its situation, in a well-watered valet. In the Anglo-Saxon times, the name was spelled Doferdæl and Douerdel‡.

In ELMBRIDGE (a chapelry situated in Doderhill, in the

* There is an intrenchment at Harborough Hill.

Lewis's "Topographical Dictionary."

See "Codex Dip.," No. 56, 56 App., Vol. iii., 1355, 1366.