also called Upton Stephani, and Upton-juxta-Snodsbury. "Domesday Book" it is written Snodesbyrie*.

In

In CHURCHILL †, near Bredicot, there is a place called the Naight, meaning Ait or Island. The name of this parish is Domesday Book." It was anciently written

Circehille in

Chirchehelle, Corishull, Chirshall, and Sarishell.

NAUNTON BEAUCHAMP is also called Naunton, Newington, or Newintune.

In WHITE LADIES ASTON there are Harrold's Close, Far, Middle, and West Bury Field, and Low Hill.

In STOULTON there are Wainherd's Hill, Whoyn Hills, and Wolverton. In the Anglo-Saxon times there were Herepath and Lusthorn (Lousethorn), on the Anglo-Saxon boundaries of Wolverton §.

In PEOPLETON there are Hunger Hill, Norchard Field, and Vorty Close. This parish is also called Pibleton, Peobleton, or Pebelton. It was formerly written Piblinton and Piplintune.

In WYRE PIDELET, a hamlet in Fladbury, there are Sitchway Lane, and Sitchway Closes. It is called Pidelet or Pidele in "Domesday Book." Part of the church is said to be of undoubtedly Anglo-Saxon workmanship ||.

In the parish of ST. ANDREW PERSHORE, there are Bearcroft, Salam Common Meadow, Dear Sale, Cosnett's Meadow, Allsborough Hill, and Tidsley Wood. Pershore, or Pearshore, was anciently called Perseora and Persora¶. It also contains a parish called Holy Cross.

BESFORD, sometimes called Besbrook, is written Beford in "Domesday Book."

LITTLE COMBERTON.-A Saxon coin of Edward the Elder was a few years since found in this parish. On the obverse there is the inscription, EADWEARD REX., and on the reverse, ABBA

See the "Folk-Lore."

+ There also is Churchill, near Kidderminster.

See pp. 226 to 229, as to this name.

§ Vide Heming's "Cartulary," pp. 154, 359; "Codex Dip.," Nos. 570, 612, 995, 1055. Also see the account of Oswaldslow, p. 221.

See the "Rambler in Worcestershire," published in 1851,

p. 331.

MON, showing that Abba was the Monetarius or mint-master. This coin, which is in a very fine state of preservation, is in the collection of John Parker, Esq., of Wood Side, Perry Wood, near Worcester.

ELMLEY CASTLE parish.-I have examined the line of the Lower Deviation Salt-way, in this parish, and find that it is an old and very miry bye-way running for about a mile under the name of the Salt-way, in a direction inclining northwards towards Pershore, and southwards towards Ashton-under-Hill. Alongside of it there are pieces of land called Nostern's Well Piece, Hell Hole, Upper Salt-way Piece, Salt-way Barn*Piece, and Salt-way Coppice. And not far from, and overlooking it, there is a long slope called Starn Hill, which rises up to a higher part of the eminence called the Round Hill. A piece of ground, called the Breach, lies along the east side of the two latter; between them and the Salt-way there are pieces called Throughters and Moll Hays. The line of this road continues southward to Ashton-under-Hill, and formerly towards Pershore; but upon the inclosure it was diverted into the direction of Cropthorne.

In this parish there is also a place called Cames or Cams Coombs, a strip of ground which runs from the bottom, partly up the side of Bredon Hill, between two coppice woods.

There are also in this parish Little Worrall or Middle Hill, Elecampane and White Way Quor Piece. About half-way between the site of Elmley Castle ** and Kemerton Camp there

The Ordnance Survey notices this Salt-way Barn.

+ See p. 128, as to this hill. Mr. Wm. Moore, of Elmley, the owner of the hill, kindly conducted me over this range.

There are places called Big and Little Moll-horn in Bromsgrove parish. § Combe, from the Anglo-Saxon Cumb, signifies a valley or a cleft in the hills. It signifies the same in Welsh, and is written cwmn by them.

Perhaps a locality of the plant of that name.

A line of road called the "Welsh Way," or "Old White Way," crosses Gloucestershire. The above name may throw a light upon the name Cames or Cams Coomb, as "Can" in Welsh and Irish signifies "white." "Cain," | however, in those languages signifies fair and chaste, and "Cam," crooked. There is a place called White-way Head Ashbed and Coppice, in Clifton-onTeme.

** Dr. Nash says the Castle was built in the time of William I., and de molished temp. Henry VIII.

is an immense mound, composed of earth and loose stones, called the Winds-end, which runs in an inclined plane from the bottom to the brow of Bredon Hill, at that part called Sheep Hill. Vestiges of ancient shallow excavations, to a considerable extent, appear in the adjoining pastures from whence, no doubt, materials were taken to form the mound. There are also some remarkable cuttings in the pasture on the eastern side of Sheep Hill, near a barn, between the mound and the site of the Castle, called "The Horse Camps," which it is said were made to protect the horses in the time of battle or siege. The name of this parish was Elmleáh and Elmlah in Anglo-Saxon times*.

* See "Codex Dip.," No. 139, 764.

Iter XIX.

RYCKNIELD STREET, OR RIDGEWAY.

THE great ancient road, called the Rycknield Street, or Ridgeway, is said to have passed Bidford, in Warwickshire, in its way from St. Davids (Menapia) to Tynemouth. Its exact course is little known, but some writers say it may be traced from Gloucester to Norton; thence to a little east of Tewkesbury; thence to Ashchurch, in Gloucestershire; thence across a small portion of Worcestershire, to Beckford and Ashton-under-Hill, in Gloucestershire; thence to the west of Sedgebarrow, in Worcestershire ; thence to Hinton, in Gloucestershire; thence a little east of Evesham, and through South Littleton, in Worcestershire, to Bidford, in Warwickshire; thence through Wicksford, to Alcester; thence near Coughton, Studley, and Ipsley, in Warwickshire; that it thence re-entered Worcestershire near Beoley, passed near Edgbaston, in Warwickshire, and, a little west of Birmingham, crossed the Tame at Woodford Bridge, in Staffordshire; ran through Sutton Park, and by Shenston; crossed the Watlinger Streete (Watling Street) about a mile from Wall and Lichfield; thence to Streetley; crossed the Trent at Wichnor; thence taking Branston in its way, it left Burton-upon-Trent half a mile to the east, passed through Stretton, and entered Derbyshire over Monk's Bridge, near Egginton.

The direction of the road cannot be traced further, although

In Overbury parish.

+ See Gale's" Essay towards the Recovery of the Courses of the four Great Roman Ways," written about the year 1760, and inserted by Hearne, in Leland's Itinerary," Vol. iv., ed. 1764.

66

See Chap. IV., concerning the Hoar-Stone which stood there.

its course is said to have been through Derby, Chesterfield, York, and so to Tynemouth *.

I am, however, inclined to think that, instead of this road having, in the ancient British time, gone from Evesham through South Littleton, Middle Littleton, North Littleton, Cleeve Prior, and Marl Cliff, to Bidford, Alcester, and Beoley, it went through Offenham, Lench Wick, Sheriff's Lench, Atch Lench, Church Lench, Stoney Morton, and along the Ridgeway by Redditch, to Bordesley, in Alvechurch, near Beoley. It is probable, however, that the Romans, during the latter period of their dominion here, avoided the ridgy ground in the last-mentioned line, and took the road through the former places. That part which is called the Ridgeway is of considerable length, and runs on the border of Feckenham, between Worcestershire and Warwickshire, near Alcester. Several antiquaries consider it to be Roman; but it is more probably the ancient British part of the line of the Rycknield Street, which the Romans in part abandoned for the easier

course.

From Bidford to Alcester this road is called Ickenild Street in Yates's Maps of Warwickshire. In the Ordnance Map, from thence northwards to Ipsley, it is called the Hayden-way; thence from Ipsley to Beoley, and towards King's Norton and Edgbaston, the Icknild-way; between Birmingham and Lichfield, the Ick

* See Collen's "Britannia Saxonica;" also, Leland's "Itinerary," Vol. vi., pp. 116 to 150; and Nash's "History of Worcestershire, Vol. i., Int., p. 3.

The ancient Britons, no doubt, preferred the ridges of the hills for the lines of their roads, as the elevations afforded them greater protection against their enemies; but when the Romans became settled in their government of this country, it was natural for them to make deviation lines to avoid difficult or crooked routes, see p. 237.

See "Beauties of England and Wales," Vol. i., pp. 61, 62, and Vol. xv., Part 2, p. 8.

§ The Ordnance Map calls it the Icknield Street from Ullington, in the parish of Pebworth, to Bidford; but this appears to have been part of the Buckle Street, unless the Rycknield Street ran from South Littleton to Ullington, and thence to Bidford, instead of going through Middle Littleton, North Littleton, Cleeve Prior, and Marlcliff, to Bidford. See p. 316.

|| There is a road called the Maiden way by the Wall, and Bewcastle, in Cumberland.