Leasow, Hoarstone Piece, Hoarstone Hopyard, and Hoar Meadow. In Orleton, Harescroft.

STAFFORDSHIRE.

In Amblecoate, Hare's Close.

WARWICKSHIRE.

In Solihull, Warstock Corner, War Croft, War Meadow, Waring's Coppice, Hare Croft, and Near Hare Croft.

GLOUCESTERSHIRE.

In Dymock, Harding's, Harcomb, and Harcomb Coppice.

OXFORDSHIRE.

In Chastleton, Harcomb, and Wyton's Harcomb.

Near Dublin a place called Harold's Cross.

"Domesday Book" has Harehille, in Gorsedone's hd. Co. Gloucester; and Hore-dane, and Horefelle*, in that county. Horebourne, in Staffordshire; Horemede, in Herefordshire; and Haregrave in Northamptonshire and Cheshire.

In WALES, single stones set up as boundaries, or as commemorative of any event, were termed "Meini-hirion," or tall stones, and were often spoken of as "Llaydion," i.e., grey. Now, there is a piece of land called Greystone Field, in the parish of Dudley; and there are fields in the parish of Ilfracombe, in Devonshire, called Near, Far, Inner, Big and Little Greystone, also places called Eastern, Middle and Western Horedown, The Broad Hoar, and Higher and Lower Arcomb Meadow. In Cutsdean, Worcestershire, there is the Grey-stone.

* Also, Tristham's Harries, Rowberry, and Kitstone.

Chapter V.

OLDBURY

(PLACES SO CALLED).

IN pp. 34, 35, some observations are made relative to two or three places in Worcestershire, called by the name of Oldbury, accompanied by the remark, that the name is an evidence that such places were generally occupied by the Romans. The following list, which contains all such places as have come to my knowledge within the county, together with a few of those met with in the neighbouring counties, may not be thought altogether uninteresting.

Oldbury, in Hales Owen *, also in St. John's, near Worcester; Big Oldburrow, in Wolverley; Oldbury Field, in Hindlip; Oldbury Barn, in or near Elmbridge; Holborough Green, near Feckenham; Holbro' Field, in Inkberrow; Oldbury, in Upton, Warren; Little Oldbrough, and Little Oldbury Wood, in the parish of Oldberrow; Oldbury, on the boundary of Smite †, which lies partly in Warndon, and partly in Hindlip; Oldbury Rough, in the parish of Bromsgrove; Oldbury, Big, Little, and Middle Oldbury, and Far Oldbury Meadow, in Rushock; Aldbrough Meadow, in Beoley; Big Holbourne, in Shelsley Beauchamp; Howbourne Hill, in South Littleton; and Howbourne, in Norton-juxta-Kempsey.

There was in the Anglo-Saxon times a place called Ealdanburh, Aldbury, or Oldbury, in Worcestershire. See "Codex Dip.," No. 570; also see Elbury Hill, pp. 223 to 226.

+ See Heming's "Cartulary," Vol. ii., p. 355.

The following are not in Worcestershire :-High Oldbury, in Amblecote, Co. Stafford.

Oldbury Gardens, at Tewkesbury, Co. Gloucester.

Oldbury, in Much Marcle; Oldbury and Vineyard, in the parish of Ledbury; and Lower Oldbury, in Linton, Co. Hereford. Oldborough Castle, near Abury, Co. Wilts.

Chapter VI.

CASTLE

(ANCIENT SPOTS SO CALLED).

66

IN p. 145 I quoted Bishop Lyttelton's opinion, that a place called Castle Field, not far from the Camp in Over Arley, but on the west side of the river, was so named from the Romans encamping there, as no ruins of a castle, or any tradition of there. ever having been one there remains." Now, this also may be equally said respecting the Castle Hill in Hadley Heath Camp*, and of a place called Payne's Castle, in Alfrickt, where there is nothing but a cottage. In "Grose's Antiquities of England and Wales," p. 1, it is stated that "the Saxons, Romans, and even according to some writers of antiquity, the ancient Britons, had castles built with stone."

64

In a paper in the "Gentleman's Magazine," for July 1842, entitled, "An Inquiry into the true History of King Arthur," it is stated, in the account of "The Battle of Castle Gurnion," that the title of castle, which is here prefixed, denoted, in the phraseology of the middle ages, a Roman fortress, or a town built on Roman foundations, in the same sense in which Chester,' Chesters' is used in numerous instances in the existing topography of Britain."

or

There are Castle Green Suffield, and Castle Hill Meadow, in Leigh parish; Big Castle Field, in Avenbury; Castle Hill, in Lindridge; Castle Tump Meadow, in Eastham; Castle Hill, in Upton Snodsbury; Castle Field, Castle Bank, and Little Castle, in Mathon; Castle Hill, in Feckenham; Kit's Castle, Castle

Tump, and Castle Meadow, in Tenbury parish; The Castle Hedge, in Broom; Castle Hill, in Clent; Castle Acre, in Hanley Child; Castle Hill, in Northfield; Red Castle Orchard, in Suckley; Castle Hill Meadow, in Martley; Great Castle Hill, and Castle Hill, in Romsley, in Hales Owen; and Great Castle Field, in Hillhampton, in Martley.