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THE SAXON LAND CHARTERS OF WILTSHIRE. I ~J\ 4. ' And from there straight by the ditch called Old Dyke (Holde Diche) to . . . Gate (Budezet).' 5. ' And from that place to the place called Heathen Burialplaces (Hetheneburieles).' 1 6. ' And from the same place to the South Hollow of Grittenham (Grutehames Suth Hele).' This brings the survey to the E. by. of the parish, to the borders of Grittenham, the Grutenham of K.817 (OMi). It is very probable that the old dyke is the ditch marked (OM6) as going from W. to E. through Dauntsey Park about ii fur. S. of Idover Demesne Farm (OMi). From here the by. must have cut across the parish somewhere along a line through Great Smithcot Farm (OMi). The sites of the burialplaces of 3 and 5 are quite indeterminable. The healh, ' hollow,' is some slight hollow or depression on the E. by., probably not far from Old Farm (OMi), which is in Brinkworth parish. 7. ' And from it to a certain tree called the Great Tree (Grete Trewe).' This was probably at some marked bend in the E. by. ; perhaps at the bend where the road running SE. from Dauntsey Green (OMi) impinges on the by. 8. 'And so over . . . Combe (Clytes 2 Combe) to the Steep Slope of the Stone (le Stanclyf),' or, perhaps, ' the Steep Stony Slope.' The survey now begins to mention landmarks which are quite distinguishable. The combe is the stream valley near the SE. corner of the parish, about f m. SSE. of Wait-hill Farm(OMi). The Stanclyf is the slope at the extreme SE. corner of the parish, to the S. of the combe. 9. ' And from that place straight over a certain place called The Edge (or Narrow Ridge) (le Egge) to the place called Scufa's Barrow (Scufan Bonce).' The edge is the narrow ridge running along the S. 1 Haetben Byrgels, ' Heathen Burialplace,' generally used in the plural, is a very common landmark in AS. surveys. How it was distinguished, as it certainly was by the Anglo-Saxons, from beorb and blaew, cannot be said. Perhaps when the local topography of some of the charters has been closely investigated on the spot some definite instance of such a burialplace may furnish some clue as to its nature and date. But there is always present the difficulty that, owing to the unknown nature of the landmark, the exact positions of such landmarks are not determinable with absolute accuracy. I am inclined to guess that these burialplaces were those of the pagan ages of the Saxon period. 2 I conjecture that Clytes is an error for Clyfes, and that the combe was named from the Stanclyf which rises above it.
THE SAXON LAND CHARTERS OF WILTSHIRE. I ~J\ by. of the parish. The barrow is Clack Mount tumulus (OMi) which stands just outside the SW. corner of the parish, close to Bradenstoke (OMi). 10. ' And from that place to the Spring called Swineswell (Swyneswelle).' Swineswell is the source of a small brook. It is on the by. about f m. S. of Dauntsey Lock (OMi). 11. ' And from that Spring to the Gate of the Lea of the Hay (Hayeleyezate).'' 1 12. ' And from that place to the Bend of Dauntsey Bourne (Dameteseye Borne Buye).' ' The Bourne ' (OM6) is a small stream marked in the map just N. of Swallett Gate (OMi). But the next landmark (13) shows that the present landmark refers to some point where the by. crossed this stream near St. John's Farm (OMi). The lea of the hay must have been on or about the site of Dauntsey Lock (OMi). 13. ' And from that place to the Ridgeway (le Rigweye), viz. above the Heathen Burialplaces (Hetheneburieles).' The Ridgeway is undoubtedly the road running through Swallett Gate (OMi) in a NE. direction, for the name Ridgeway Farm (OMi) occurs on it in the neighbouring parish of Christian Malford a short i m. SW. of Swallett Gate. 2 The Heathen burialplaces must have been in the stream valley NW. of the road. 14. ' And from it to the Withybed (le Wythybed), viz. the place called The End of the Strip of Ploughland of the Headland (Heuedakerhende).' 15. 'And so from that place to the Stump of the Appletree (Apeldorestob).' 16. ' And from there to Avon (Auene), namely the place called the Ditch {le Syche).' This last landmark brings the by. once more to the River Avon at the point where the S. by. of Dauntsey 3 reaches the river about 3 fur. S. of Down Field Farm (OMi) in Great Somerford parish. Le Syche was probably 1 ' Hay ' means literally ' hedge.' 3 Various landmarks on the SW. bv. of a For further details of this interesting Dauntsey are given in the Christian Malford road see Arcb. Journ. vol. lxxv, 1918, ' The charter B. 752. Ancient Roads of Wilts.' road 22, p. 82.
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