PROCEEDINGS OF THE COTTESWOLD CLUB 35 



reward of their past labours. It has been said that these 

 fires refer to Christ and his Twelve Apostles, who were 

 the lights of the world. And it seems probable that a 

 Christian meaning has been given to a custom of Pagan 

 origin. 



There is a spring of mineral water in Pauntley, a little 

 above Paveford Bridge, called the Spa, to w^hich it was the 

 custom of the Newent people and others to repair on the 

 evening of the 30th April, in order to be ready to drink 

 the waters early on May Day. They used to light a fire 

 to warm the water, which is of an aperient nature, and 

 having drunk a number of horns full of it, they used to run 

 round a field of the shape of a figure of eight, until the 

 desired result was obtained. 



This custom is falling out of use, owing to the farmer 

 being offended at sticks being pulled out of his hedges to 

 light the fires. 



Names of places and fields in Pauntlev : Paveford 

 (^i.e. Paved-Ford), Paveford Coppices, Harwich Coppice, 

 Harwich Quabbs, Harwich Field. 



Dymock, anciently Dimock. Derivation from Dim, dark 

 and Ac, aw-oak. 



On the south side of the parish there is an elevation 

 called the Castle Tump, it is said that one of the Bohuns 

 built a Castle here, but as there are no vestages of it 

 remaining, and as the Tump is too small for such a 

 building, it was probably a fort constructed during the 

 Civil Wars. 



John Kyrle, the Man of Ross, was born at the White- 

 house, in Dymock, A.D. 1637. 



Names of places and fields in Dymock : Gamage Hall, 

 The Boyce, The Old Grange, Ryton, Ockington, The 

 Lynch, Ketford Farm, Great Lintridge, Rowshill, Wincross, 

 Dorlow, Berrows, Castle Meadow, Crews Field, Round 

 Hill, Puckmore, Puckmore's Hitch, Ye.stlers, Quabbs, 

 Quabb Ground, Shaice Field, Hell Piece, Hell Bridge, 

 C2 



