THE ANGLO-SAXON BOUNDS OF BEDWYN AND

BURBAGE.

By O. G. S. CRAWFORD.

The bounds described below refer to the modern parishes of Great and Little Bedwyn, Grafton, Tidcombe, Burbage,and North and South Savernake, and the manor of Wexcombe. In A.D. 968 the greater part of this area (with the exception of Little Bedwyn) was a single unit, made up of the following manors and hamlets :

(1.) The Manor of Great Bedwyn, an important valley settlement, the metropolis of Cissa.1

Cyssa was the uncle of Hean, the reputed founder of Abingdon Abbey in A.D. 675. The story of Cissa and of his making Chisbury Camp is probably a pure invention. The camp is almost certainly prehistoric, probably an "oppidum" of the La Téne period.

(2.) A group of manors situated round the head waters of the Bedwyn stream and its tributaries, consisting of Wilton, East Grafton, West Grafton or Wickham, (?) Marten and Crofton, with the outlying manors of Tidcombe and Wexcombe.

Marten grew up at the crossing place of two important roads, that from Hungerford to Salisbury, and the Roman Road from Marlborough to Winchester. A branch of the Pewsey herepath came from East Grafton to Marten, doubtless leading into the Winchester Road. Marten was sufficiently important to be defended by a moat, and there is a mound here which may be a castle mound.

Wexcombe lay on the Hungerford-Salisbury Road. Tidcombe lay at the meeting-place of several roads, where a branch left the Roman Road for the settlements of the upper Test Valley.

The point where the Pewsey herepath branched was at Kinwardstone Farm, the main route turning slightly north and making for Shalbourne, Inkpen, the Woodhays, and the Clere district in Hampshire. Wilton lay on this route where it crosses the Roman Road. The Manor of West Grafton probably lay a little south of the village. Here are some houses without any name on the map. From the field-names close by, Wick's Mead (1792) and Wickham (about 1810), and from the presence there of earthworks and ditches of an indeterminate character, it is safe to infer that the manor lay here, just on the watershed, at the source of one of the tributaries of the Collingbourne.

"Regnante Kinuino, rege West-Saxonum, erat quidam nobilis vir Cyssa nomine, et hic erat regulus, in cujus dominio erat Wiltesire, et pars maxima de Berksire. Et quia habebat in dominio suo episcopalem sedem in Malmesbiria, regulus appellabatur. Metropolis vero urbs regni ipsius erat Bedeuuinde. In australi etiam parte urbis construxit castellum quod ex nomine suo Cyssebui vocabatur." (Abingdon Chron., ii., 1858, p. 268.) VOL. XLI,-NO. CXXXIV.

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(3.) Burbage consisted of three manors, East Court, West Court, and the Manor Farm. They are called the manors of "Burbage Darrells, Burbage Esturmye, and Burbage Savage" in an Inq. p.m. of 1626 (Wilts Inq. p.m. p. 24), but I do not know how to allocate the respective names. These manors grew up on the watershed (called burg beces in the bounds) where it is traversed from west to east by a branch of the Pewsey herepath leading to Bedwyn. The herepath still survives in Glide's Lane and Harry's Lane. Burbage thus grew up at the meeting place of roads of importance. Now it consists of a long string of cottages lying in a north and south line along the Marlborough-Salisbury Road. These cottages are all fairly ancient.

(4.) The squatters' hamlets of Leigh Hill, Durley, and Ram Alley.

I do not propose to discuss the relation of all these manors to the later creation of Savernake Forest. I hope, however, to do so in a separate work. The forest appears to have been formed out of the waste of the surrounding

manors.

Little Bedwyn consisted of the village of Little Bedwyn and some outlying farms. The date when these were made is not clear, and some of them may have been made after the Conquest. The principal ones are Stock (which alone is certainly pre-Conquest), Chisbury, Horsehall, Puthall, Timbridge, Knowle, and Harrow Farms. The latter is called "Cross Ford" on Andrews' and Dury's Map of. Wilts (1773). They all (except Puthall) lie west and north-west of Little Bedwyn, between the Froxfield stream and the Bedwyn stream.

The bounds of Burbage are incomplete, and describe only the west side, where it marches with those of Great Bedwyn. Great Bedwyn thus seems then to have included Burbage.

The bounds are all published in the "Cartularium Saxonicum” (W. de Gray Birch, 3 vols., 1885-1893) but the versions given below are copied directly from the manuscripts themselves at the British Museum.

I wish to acknowledge my indebtednes to Mr. W. H. Stevenson, of St. John's College, Oxford, for most kindly translating the bounds for me, and for pointing out several errors. I have added several of Mr. Stevenson's comments verbatim, with indications in each instance of their authorship. Of course Mr. Stevenson must not be held responsible for any passages in my notes, where such indications are not given.

Great Bedwyn and adjoining parishes, A.D. 968. Copied from Cotton MS. Claudius C. ix., fol. 195 [Cart. Sax. iii., 1213]. The alternative readings are from Claudius, B. vi., fol. 77 b. In the Rolls edition of the Abingdon Chronicle, where these MSS. are both transcribed (Rolls Series, vol. i., 1858, p. 315), the editor states that they are of the 13th century, C. ix. being the earlier by about half a century. B. vi. is a second edition of C. ix.. and both were derived from a common source. (Preface, vol. 1., § 15.)

Erest fram Bedwindan to haran grafan. northeweardan up æt there dices gæte æt harandene. forth thonne be wyrtwalan ther se haga ut

cymth. be tham wyrtwalan to pædes patha.' thonne with helmes treowes. thonne on embrihtes3 get. thonne with stæt gætes. thonne on huntan' dene neothewærde. thonne with hoces byrgels. thonnon on hwitan hlinces. thonon on æbban" crundel. thonon on the swelgende. thonan on penderes clif forweard and on wælweg. thonne with there eorthbyrig (thonne with ge mere weges.) thonne with burhbeces. thonne with igfelda. thonne with bydan hammes. thonne with rodleage mæres. thonne to sælgete. thonne to bræcdene geate. thonne to wælles mære. thonne to gemotleage easteweardre. thonne ut to bradan leage. thær cuthhardes peath ut ligth. thonne on bagcgan geat. thonne on hæthfeld geat. thonne on thone hlæddredan beam. thonne on hrames dene9 geat. thonne on horshæl geat ut on beocces heal. thanon to Bedewindan.

Translation (by Mr. W. H. Stevenson).

From (the) Bedewinde to (the) northward of the hoar-grove, up to the opening (or gap) in the ditch at (the) hoar valley (or the hare's valley); thence forwards by the tree-roots where the haw shoots forward; by the tree-roots to Pæd's path; thence towards Helm's tree; thence to Embrihtes (=Eanbrihtes) gap (or gate); thence towards St[r]et Gate (or gap) to the lower end of Huntsman's valley; thence toward Hōc's burial (or barrow); thence to (the) white linches; thence to Abba's "crundell"; thence to the "swelgend" (gulf, abyss, chasm ?); thence to the front of Pendere's cliff; to the Weala-weg; thence towards the earthbury; thence towards Byrbæc; thence towards Ig-feld; thence towards Byda's "hamms"; thence towards Rodleah mere; thence to (the) willow-gap (reading seal-geat); thence to the gap of Bræcdenu; thence to "Wælles mere"; thence to the eastward of Gemot-leah; thence out to Broad-ley (or Broad-wood), where Cuthhard's path comes out; thence to Bacga's gap; thence to Heathfield gap; thence the "hlead-reada" or "blæddredan" tree ("laddered tree"?); thence on Hrammes-denu gap; thence to the gap of Hors-healh; out to Beocceshealh; thence to (the) Bedwinde.

(1.) Aerest fram Bedwindan to haran grafan. northeweardan up æt there dices gæte æt harandene. Beginning at the Bedwyn stream about 660 yards N.E. of Great Bedwyn Church, the Anglo Saxon bounds coincide with the modern ones for half-a-mile. They go along an old lane called Galley Lane which separates Harding field on'the S. W. from Parlour field1o on the N.E. This lane comes into the Shalbourne road at an old cottage called Jockey Farm in 1792 (Little Bedwyn Award Map) and "The Horse and Jockey" in 1773 (Andrew's and Dury's Map). The open space where the roads meet was called "The Green in 1792. Here, I think, the modern bounds diverge from the Anglo Saxon ones, taking a zig-zag course

1 Pædes pathe.

2 thonone.
3 æmbrihtes.
foreuueardan on. 7 Omittit.
9 harmmesdene.

10 In 1337 William le Parlere held one virgate of land in Estbedwynde Thus the boundary went to the south of Parlour field then. It is mentioned in an Inq. p. m. of 1663 as " Parler field."

up the hill. The Anglo-Saxon bounds probably continued along the Shalbourne road at the bottom of the valley for 500 yards when they cross Wansdyke where it emerges south westwards from Round Copse. This is the "dices gate at haradene." Harandene was the name of the whole of that valley which starts at Harding Farm and runs northward to the village of Bedwyn. In the Middle Ages Harding Farm, or its predecessor, was the home of the family of "de Hardene," keepers of the Westrigge Bailiwick of Savernake Forest, now the Brails of Wilton and Bedwyn. The name probably means "hoar or white valley," and it is particularly applicable to this valley in the sides of which the chalk is exposed, the high ground on both sides being covered with tertiary deposits.

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(2.) Forth thonne be wyrtwalan ther se haga utcymth. be tham wyrtwalan to pades patha. This exactly describes the course now followed by the Bedwyn-Oxenwood road as far as Piccadilly, where it crosses the old Hungerford-Salisbury road. Wyrtwalan" bears well here the orthodox interpretation of the foot of high ground. Close alongside of this road runs an old enclosure bank which in 1792 formed the eastern limit of the enclosed lands of Wilton tithing. This old boundary is the "haga" of the Anglo Saxon bounds. Pædes patha may be the old Salisbury road, which is called here "The Harrow Way" in the Shalbourne Award Map (of 1801 ?).

(3.) Thonne with helmes treowes. This tree would appear to have stood on the site now occupied by Botley Copse.

(4.) Thonne on embrihtes get. This must be where the TidcombeOxenwood road crosses the Roman road from Marten to Scot's Poor. From Botley Copse an old broad down track, enclosed between high, thick, ancient hedges sweeps in a great curve downwards towards this point, which is exactly the point of the divide between the Test and the Wilton stream, a tributary of the Kennet. A narrow col is formed here between the two basins, and it is an obvious crossing place of ancient roads.

(5.) Thonne with stræt gætes. I have here amended the meaningless“ stæt gaetes" of the original Charters since there can be no doubt that it is incorrect. Stræt gaet" is undoubtedly "Scot's Poor." Close by in the acute angle of Collingbourne Kingston parish is a field of 13 acres called on a map of 1825 Street Gate."1 In a Perambulation of Savernake Forest of 1259 "la Strete" and " Stretegate" are mentioned, and must be identified with the same point. On the old edition of the Ordnance one inch map Scot's Poor is called Totterdown, but it was called Scot's Poor in Colt Hoare's

1 At the Savernake Estate Office. (Large roller map of Collingbourne Brunton, Gammon's Farm, and Blagdon, 1825).

2 History of Marlborough, by James Waylen, 1854, p. 65. Waylen gives a garbled translation of the perambulations, but omits to state their date or the source from which he obtained them. I have, however, identified and obtained copies of the originals in the Public Record Office [Exchequer, K.R. Forest Proc. Bundle II. No. 25].

time. (The Inn which existed there then was done away with in the summer of 1914, and I was, I think, the last guest to partake of its hospitality. The house is still in existence).

(6.) Thonne on huntan dene neothewærde. On leaving Scot's Poor the modern boundary between Tidcombe and Wexcombe in the north, and Collingbourne Kingston in the south, proceeds due west and shortly descends by a side valley into a deep valley running north and south. One of these, probably the side valley, must be "huntan dene.”

(7.) Thonne with hoces byrgels. These are probably the two disc barrows here whose outer banks intersect. A third, a bell barrow, stands on the hill close by on the E.N.E.

Up to this point there can be no doubt about the general course followed by the bounds. From here onwards for about 3 miles, to Crowdown Clump, the course described below is highly probable, but lacks any absolutely certain identifications.

(8.) Thonnon on hwitan hlinces. This corresponds with the "sceorran hline" of the Collingbourne bounds, and is the first point of contact between the two charters, if it is a point of contact. But since the AngloSaxon bounds of Collingbourne Kingston elsewhere are clearly different from those of the modern parish it is not possible to say precisely where the "hwitan hlinces" should be. They cannot, however, be far from Fair Mile Clumps. The hill on which Grafton Clump stands is called "Witman's Hill" on a map of 1825.

(9.) Thonne on ebban crundel. This is clearly the same as the "iebyng crundele" of the Collingbourne bounds. "Crundel," according to one authority, means a round pit,' and should therefore be easy to identify by field observation. But the only pit I can discover on the boundary line is a small chalk pit 250 yards west of Grafton Clump. It lies on the east side of an old track coming from East Grafton and about 150 yards north of the parish boundary. The only objection to identifying this pit with “æbban crundel " is that it is small and does not look ancient. The sides, too, are still bare, though half cloaked in a deposit of debris. It may, however, be ancient, and might perhaps be an old pit reopened in modern times. On the whole I am inclined to identify it with "æbban crundel " since it is the only pit on or near the bounds here, and since it lies exactly where one would expect the crundel to occur, i.e., about midway between the two adjacent points.

(10.) Thonon on tha swelgende. This is clearly a point in the Collingbourne valley where a bubbling spring rose. The exact point lies, I think, about a quarter of a mile south of the meeting-place of the modern parishes of Collingbourne Kingston, Grafton, and Burbage. Here is the junction of the two main head-streams of the Collingbourne, one of which rises at Marr Green, Burbage, and the other at Wick, or Wickham, an old site immediately south of West Grafton. Now artificial channels have been dug for these 1 Mr. W. H. Stevenson queries this translation, and adds: “It is a small valley with a stream running through it, in Hants dialect."