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

THE SAXON LAND CHARTERS OF WILTSHIRE. I ~J\
Purton Island, named from the neighbouring Purton,
is the eyot in the Ray (Worf), the S. end of which is a long
f m. NNE. of the aqueduct (OMi) on the Ray. The by.
goes up its W. side, as indicated in the survey.
4. On Purton Ige northeuuerdan : ' To the north end
of Purton Island.'
The by. runs along the backwater to the N. end of the
island.
5. Eft ut on Worfe Stream : ' Again out to the Stream
of the Wurf.'
After passing the N. end of the island the by. runs N.
along the Ray.
6. Andlang streames on Wude Briege : ' Along stream
to Wood Bridge ' (i.e. a bridge near a wood).
It is probable that this bridge was where Tadpole
Bridge now stands, on the road about 150 yds. E. of Blunsdon
railway station (OMi).
7. Thanon ut on Aeselaee thaer Aeselaeu fylth ut on
JVuorf: ' Then out on the (slow-flowing) stream of the
Ashtrees where that stream flows into the Worf (Ray).'
(And lang streames on Foslaee is the corresponding landmark
of the earlier charter : ' along stream to Ditch 1 Lake,''
i.e. ' the slow-flowing stream of the ditch.')
Both the Ashlake and the Fosslake are the same stream—
the brook which enters the Ray 1 fur. ENE. of Blunsdon
railway station (OMi). I do not think that there is any
reason to assume a confusion of text in the one or the other
charter. Alternative names for the same stream are found
elsewhere in the charters.
This stream forms the W. part of the N. by. of the parish.
8. Up on gean stream on thaes Langan Furlanges East
Ende : ' Up against stream to the East End of the Long
Furlong.' 2
This furlang was probably at the bend which the N. by.
makes a short £ m. W. of the point where the road from
Blunsdon St. Andrew to Haydon Wick crosses the N. by.
1 Fos is not given in BT. nor in the later
supplement to it. It is the same word Fos
which is the AS. name of the Fosse Way.
I do not think that there is much reason to
doubt that it is borrowed from the Lat.
fossa, ' a ditch.'
2 ' Furlong' is a very common field-name
in modern nomenclature. It means (or
meant formerly before the Enclosure acts)
a group of strips of ploughland. It is.
probable that in the south of England,
where the three-field system of cultivation
prevailed, each land-unit had three such
1 furlongs,' one of which was left fallow each
year. The AS. furlang had doubtless the:
same meaning as the modern field-name.