224 HISTORY OF HARTING. 



In East Harting "Tye oak," if originally "Trye- 

 oak," would exactly represent "trye" or choice, and be 

 the " Fair Oak" of Henry the Eighth's time.* " Hamp- 

 shire Farm " may very probably have designated what 

 was once really part of Hampshire. Crossing our bor- 

 ders, Buriton, anciently Beriton, was the " town of bere 

 or barley," as we had in Harting in 1349, a "Berecroft" 

 or " Barley-hill." Ditcham is the ham or place of 

 the " dykes," the old mansion being on the lowlands. 

 Rogate or Rothergate is so called from the Red 

 River the Rother. 



One of the chief curiosities in the Parish is the 

 great well in the chalk at Lady Holt.f It is remark- 

 able that it is to a foot exactly of the same depth as, 

 that of Carisbrooke ; it has also, like Carisbrooke, a 

 great wheel, formerly turned by a donkey. Its total 

 depth is 240 ft The wheel of Carisbrooke is 16 ft. 

 in diameter, with a drum of 6| ft. all made of chest- 

 nut ; at Lady Holt the wheel is 12 ft. 8 in diameter, 

 and made of oak. The boring of the Lady Holt 

 well, which is stained for 6 ft., is most beautifully 

 regular and shapely, and few sights are more charm- 

 ing than that of the rapid descent of some tapers let 

 down in a tin dish, the starlike coruscations of which 

 sometimes golden, sometimes blue, sometimes green, 

 in short almost a rainbow reveal everywhere the true 

 circle till the water is reached, and a bed of 40 ft. 

 of water too, even after a dry season. Two measure- 

 ments were made for me by William Marsh, one on 

 Dec. 6, 1876, shewing 40 ft. of water: the other on 

 Jan. 27, 1877, after unprecedented rains, marked 

 82^ ft. The Foxcombe well had risen from 54 ft. 

 to 84 ft. in the same time. There is a tradition that 

 when the lavant breaks out at the New Barn on the 



between y e Tumemere or y e P r - cession bounder of Hartinge and 

 Mr. Cooper's close, called Doale Field." W. Harting Leager, 

 1632, p. 105. * See page 62. 



t Lady Holt well was made by an old man named Tupper, 

 1702. Its new rope cost 2 193. 6d. in 1714. 



