Early British trackways, moats, mounds, camps, and sitesWatkins, Alfred
History
Early British trackways, moats, mounds, camps, and sites
Watkins, Alfred
Great Britain -- Antiquities; Leys -- Great Britain; Megalithic monuments -- Great Britain; Mounds -- Great Britain
TRADERS’ ROADS.
Salt was an early necessity, and “Doomsday Book” records Herefordshire
Manors owning salt pans at “Wick,” namely Droitwich. The salt ley
for Hereford came from Droitwich through the White House, Suckley,
Whitwick Manor, Whitestone, Withington (site of present chapel), White
House, Tupsley, Hogg’s Mount, Hereford, and on to its terminal on
Mynydd Ferddin Hill through Whitfield mansion. Another salt ley passes
through Henwick and Rushwick (Worcester), over the Storridge pass
through Whitman’s Wood, and ultimately gets to White Castle (Mon.),
passing over the White Rocks at Garway. Similar leys pass through such
places as Saltmarshe Castle, Whitewell House, the two White Crosses,
Whitcliffe, Whiteway Head, the Wych pass over the Malverns. It is plain
what the “white” man carried.
[Illustration:
PLATE IX.
MARK-STONES.
1. Red Lion, Madley.
2. Credenhill.
3. Wye Street, Hereford.
4. Bartonsham (see Plate VIII.).]
[Illustration:
PLATE X.
TRANSITION OF MARK-STONE TO CROSS.
1. Pedlars Cross, Llanigon.
2. Wergins Stone.
3. Churchyard Cross, Vowchurch (Inset, Hole in Shaft, Bitterley).
4. Churchyard Cross, Capel-y-Fin.]
A knowledge of the ancient pottery in the Kiln Ground Wood at Whitney
enables me to show the meaning of the numerous red banks, barns, and
houses. A ley through this pottery is sighted on Newchurch Hill and
passes through Redborough, Red Lay (a cottage on main road this side of
Letton); the ley is then dead on two miles of the present high road as
far as the Portway, and passing through the Home Farm, Garnons (where
the ancient road exists), it ultimately reaches the little Red House,
the old Tannery House at The Friars, Hereford; the ley goes on through
Woolhope Church, but the small local potter had come to his limit and
the reds cease on this road. Another ley from this pottery runs through
the Red Gates and Eardisley Park.
What the “black” man carried is indicated by the name still given to
the smith who works in iron. Whoever carried to or from the local
forges, whether it was ore, charcoal, or iron, would be black.
The earliest trade (before metals were worked) must have been in
flints, and as a man who wanted such would not have gone across
Gloucestershire to the nearest chalk districts to fetch them, the
flint chippers, or knappers, would come on the road to sell them. The
sighting tumps called the Knap are common, and if I wanted to search
for flint flakes, I should go to the base of the Knaps, their earliest
market. Tin Hill, Tinker’s Hill, and Tinker’s Cross have a similar
meaning.
HEREFORD TRACKWAYS.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account