It must be understood by all those who read these charters that this ...

THE SAXON LAND CHARTERS OF WILTSHIRE. I ~J\
Survey of charter B.1285.
This survey presents the same difficulties as that of
B.734, and doubtless for the same reason—the modification
of the by. of Overton since the survey was made.
It seems to refer (1) to a piece of land lying N. of the
river, and immed. W. of the land included in the survey
of B.734 ; (2) to a piece of land S. of the river corresponding,
partly at any rate, to the land in the survey of B.734.
1. Aerest on thone Chiricstede : ' First to the (Site of
the Church ,?).' 1
2. Thonne of etc. innan Straetford on thaet Ellen : ' Then
to the Ford of the Street (Made Road) to the Elder-tree.'
3. Of, etc. on Seofon Beorgas : ' From the Elder-tree
to Seven Barrows.'
4. Of, etc. innan 2 Colta Beorg·. 'From the Seven
Barrows to Colta's Barrow.'
For coltan beorh see 17 of the last charter.
Two things are clear from these landmarks : (1) that
the survey is running N. from the Kennett ; (2) that it is
running along a line different to that taken by the by.
indicated in the last charter ; and further landmarks show
that this line must be W. of the other.
The first landmark is by no means a matter of certainty ;
but it is probable that the churchstead was near the church
at East Kennett. Straetford of 2 is interesting and important.
As the Roman road passes along the N. bank of the Kennett
in this part one is tempted to connect this ford with the
Roman road. If it was a ford on that road then it must
have been where the line of the road crosses the Kennett
about ii fur. E. of Silbury Hill (OMi). But it is also
possible that it was a ford on the ridgeway close to East
Kennett village; for some ' making' of that ancient
highway may well have taken place at the point where it
crosses the low land by the river. But this ford at East
Kennett is undoubtedly referred to later in the survey as
being at the place where the by. comes back to the Kennett;
and therefore the Straetford must be near Silbury Hill. 3
1 This is Bosworth and Toller's translation.
My own belief is that the term means
a farmstead, without a house attached to it,
and near the church.
2 Innan does not seem to have been used
by this surveyor in its special sense of
' inside of,' but in the general sense of
' to.'
3 I have attempted all sorts of hypotheses
as solutions of the difficulties of this survey ;
and at one time I was disposed to place this
ford at East Kennett. But the later
landmark renders this hypothesis impossible.