36 DERBYSHIRE PLACE-NAMES. 



Ambergate.— For the derivation of the first component see Amber, river, 



infra. The postfix is a recent appendage. 

 Amber, river.— Probably from the C. personal name Ambrosius, perhaps 

 that of the British king, the successor of Vortigern. " Ambre risith west 

 " of Chestrefeld, and leveth two miles on the left hand onto us to Winfeld 

 "village an eight mile to Ambre bridge, two miles to Chriche chace a 

 " wood fast by where it runnith into Darwent." — Leland. 

 Appleby.— (D.D.B. Apleby). A.S. sepl, sepel, seppel, appel, apul— the 



apple and N. byr, by — a village or abode ; — the apple village. 

 Arbelow or Arborlow. — The initial syllable is from the A.S. har— hoary, 

 gray. The medial syllable is from the A.S. beorh — a heap of stones, a 

 place of burial, a barrow. The final syllable is from the A.S. hlsew, 

 hlaw, low— a hill, an elevation, a rising tract of ground. The gray or 

 hoary barrow hill. 

 Arleston. — (D.D.B. Erlestvne.) — N. jarl — an earl, and A.S. tun — a town ; — 



the earl's town. 

 Ash. — (D.D.B. Eisse.) — For the derivation of this name see the initial 



syllable of Ashbourn, infra. 

 Ashbourn. — (D.D.B. Esseburne.) — The initial syllable is from the A.S. sesc — 

 the ash, a tree sacred among the Saxons, or the derivation may be from the 

 C. esk — water, a root subject to numerous phonetic mutations, and found 

 in a vast number of river and place-names, as ax, ex, ux, oc, es, is, ease, 

 ese, ash, iz, isa, usk, &c. The terminal syllable is from the A.S. 

 burne — a stream, a brook. The brook by the ash tree or the water 

 brook. If the latter etymology is correct, Ashbourn is an illustration of 

 the not unfrequent duplication of synonymous roots, relative to which 

 see Scarcliff, infra. 

 Ashford. — (D.D.B. Aisseford.) — A.S. sesc— an ash tree and A.S. ford ; — 



the ford by the ash tree. But see note to Ashbourn, supra. 

 Ashleyhay. — The initial syllable is from the A.S. sesc — an ash tree. 

 The medial syllable Is from the A.S. leg, leag, lea, leah, lag, lah — a 

 meadow, a field, land, from licgan, liggan to lie, originally denoting 

 meadows or land lying fallow after a crop. The final syllable is from the 

 A.S. hage, haga — a hedge or that which is hedged in — an enclosure. The 

 ash field enclosure. But see note to Ashbourn, supra. 

 Ashopton.— The initial syllable is from A.S. sesc — the ash tree. The 

 medial syllable is from C. hwpp — the side of a hill or a slope between 

 hills. The postfix is from A.S. tun — a town. The town by the ash tree 

 slope. 

 Ashover. — (D.D.B. Essovre.) — A.S. sesc — an ash tree, and A.S. ofer — a 

 margin, boundary, brink, bank, ridge ; — the ash tree bank or ridge or 

 boundary. But see note to Ashbourn, supra. 



