PLACE AND FIELD NAMES OF THE PARISH OF STAVELEY. 1 95 



meadoiv, and two Yew-iree closes, from which the yew trees have 

 disappeared. 



Garth is a Norse word, signifying an enclosed place. We have 

 three IV ii/ow garths, which are enclosed strips of damp ground, 

 covered with willows. There is also Willoxu holt, holt being an 

 Anglo-Saxon word for a copse. 



From the numerous fields called Rye croft. Rye hills. Rye close, 

 and Rye Riihlings, it would seem that rye was somewhat largely 

 grown in this district. 



One field bears the title of Onion piece. 



Some fields take name from their size, as Great croft and Little 

 croft. Others from their shape, as Triangle, Three-cornered 'piece. 

 Long croft, and Broad piece. 



A large number of names are derived from the physical features 

 of the land, or quality of the soil, as Pond meadow. Quarry field, 

 Alarl field. Limestone close, Stoiiey close, and Uill close. 



Breck is from brekka, a slope or brink. We have three or four 

 brecks, which all agree with this description. 



Hunger hill is a duplicate name, signifying literally hill hill, 

 hunger being a common form of Anglo-Saxon hojiger or hanger, a 

 hill. Readers of White's " Selborne " will remember //^^ Jlaitger at 

 that place. In the parish of Staudon, Herts., there is Hatiging 

 Wood, and here in Staveley are Hanging bank plantation and 

 Hanging piece, all derived from the same root, being applied in 

 each case to a site on a hill side. 



The terms bottom, flat, and butts are connected with the open 

 field system, and are fully discussed by Canon Atkinson in 

 Vol. XIV. of the "Antiquaty," so that we need not go into them 

 at length here. A bottom is a stretch of low-lying land, not wet 

 like an ing, but dry and fertile ; we have The Bottoms and Ashes 

 Bottom, the latter probably owing its distinctive title to an old 

 Staveley family named Ash. 



Canon Atkinson's definition of a flat is " an extent of fairly 

 level land below the general elevation of the district, mainly deep 

 of soil and fertile, but divisible into separate portions by boundary 

 lines." There are \n ?,{diwe\e.y, Short flat. Hall flats, Sand flats. 



