DERBYSHIRE PLACE-NAMES. 67 



Unston.-(D.D.B. Ilonestune, Onestvne.) -The prefix is an A.S. personal 

 name from Hun, Hon. The postfix is from A.S. tun a town. Un's 

 town. 



Unthank.— The prefix is as in Unston, q.v. The postfix is from the A.S. 



thwang, thwong-a thong, a leather string, a band, and denotes a piece 



of land measured out with a thong or string. Un's thong or measured 



land or estate. 



Upton. -(D.D.B. Uptun.)-A.S. up. upp-exalted, lofty, high, and A.S. tun 



—a town ;— the high town. 

 Via Gellia. -This is a road through a valley in the neighbourhood of 



-Matlock, constructed by Mr. Gell, from whom it takes the name. 

 Wadeshelf or Wadshelf.-(D.D.B. \Yadescel.)-The prefix is from 

 the A.S. personal name Waddy, and the postfix from the A.S. scylfe— a 

 shelf, the shelf of a hill ;— Waddy's shelf on the hill. 

 Walecross (Wapentake) .-(D.D.B. Walecros.)-For the derivation 

 of the prefix, see Walton, infra. The postfix is from the A.S. cruc, 

 cryce, crod-a crutch, a cross or that which crosses, as two intersecting 

 roads. For the derivation of Wapentake, see under Morleston, supra 

 Walton.-( D.D.B. Wnktvne.)-Several etymons may be proposed for the 

 vocable forming the prefix of this place-name. Walton is sUuated three 

 miks S.W. by W. from Chesterfield, and is within about three miles of 

 the line of the old Roman road-Ryknield-street. The prefix Wal 

 frequently indicates a site near a Roman fortification or wall, which 

 ■nay have existed on the Ryknield-street, in the neighbourhood of Walton 

 The denvat.on of wal may be, however, from the A.S. weall-a wall or 

 rampart, or from the A.S. wyl, wil, wyll, well-a well or fountain, or from 

 the A.S. personal name Wad, Weal or Wal. The Domesday spelling 

 of the word seems however to indicate another etymology. Wale may 

 be derived from the A.S. wala, walch, wealh (plural wealhas, wealas, 

 weallas)-a stranger, foreigner, not of Saxon origin, one from another 

 country-which appellations were given by the Saxons on their arrival 

 in England, to the Celts, Gaels, and the British inhabitants generally- 

 hence the name Wales-the country of the strangers. Walton may, there- 

 fore, mark a spot where the original inhabitants-the Celts-maintained 

 themselves against the Saxon invaders. The terminal syllable is the 

 A.S. tuu-a town. Thus, Walton may be the town by the Roman wall or 

 fortification, the- walled town, the town by the well, Wad's town, or the 

 town of the Welsh, i.e. strangers. 

 Walton-on-Trent.-(D.D.B. Waletvne.)_For the derivation of Walton 

 see above ; for the adjunct, see Trent, river, supra. Walton-on-Trent is 

 situated four miles S.W. from Burton-on-Trent, and is in close proximity 

 to the line of the Ryknield-street. 



