A _hope_ is a small opening running up to the mountain ridges as a tributary to a main stream. From the burns again branch out _grains_, which, fed by springs, issue from _brocs_. The _cleugh_, _gill_, and _sike_, contribute their waters generally to the burns, whilst a _well_ may come from a _dene_, and empty into the main stream. The western dales of Durham are pre-eminently dales of _hopes_. This word is the Celtic _hwpp_, a slope or hollow between hills--a little dale in which a stream of water gathers. These openings at the sides of the dale may very properly be termed places of refuge, places of shelter for animals, such as the deer, and in these days we find sheep located in the various _hopes_, where they have their _heft_--a locality to which they become attached; Anglo-Saxon _hæft_, from the having a holding or place. The Norse _hop_ is a place of shelter or refuge. An inquiry into the Bishop’s possessions of game in Weardale, nearly three hundred years ago, particularly mentioned forests, parks, _hopes_ and pastures. The place-name _hope_ is common throughout the hilly parts of Durham, Northumberland, Yorkshire, and Derbyshire. In the neighbouring parish of Wolsingham there are Harehope, Ouselhope, and Thornhope; in Allendale Swinhope, Sinderhope, Ellershope, and Mohope; the Boldon Buke records in the Bishopric, Ayleshope, Rokehope, Cazhope, Refhope, Horsleyhope, Histeshope, Baldingehope, Burnhop, and Roueleiehope; and in Teesdale we have Egleshope and Hudeshope. In Weardale we have the Hope, sometimes called Stanhope Hope, probably to distinguish it from the town of Stanhope. In Weardale there are sixteen _hopes_, distinguished in name by some characteristic feature, as represented in their respective initial components.