Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 6.djvu/500

 336 KOMAN KOADS, CAMPS, AND EARTHWORKS, It may be worth while liere to remark, that a similar dike and ditch, though of less extent, at Newmarket, was known by the name Ryche dike, (or RecJi dike, in the middle ages,) which, perhaps, may be derived from the old German word llccken, a hero or warrior.^ And another exceedingly like it runs from Lerrin to Looe, in Cornwall, and is called the Giant's Hedge. This is seven miles in length, its outer dike is nearly invisible throughout, except for a short distance in a wood. This is not the only name along the course of the dike which indicates early occupation. Barforth has preserved its sound and spelling nearly to the present day ; the first syllable is presumed to mean a stream in British, and, with its cognates Var and Yar, to be found in several places.' The second syllable, forth, is presumed to be the British Ffordd — a way, a road — in support of which derivation we may remark that the Anglo-Saxon term for a passage of a stream is not ford, but ivath, a word in constant use even now in the North Riding of York ; and that the English use of the word has been adopted from the ancient British, as Hartforth,^ and Anteforth, near Gilling. That the dike was used for a way in part, if not actually constructed with that intention, may be seen from the words of the ancient boundary roll of the borough of Richmond, which beginning at the river Swale at " Hind Wath," proceeds up " Road dike!' ^ 6 Palgrave, Hist, of the Anglo-Saxons, as cited by Clarkson, History of Rich- p 41. Clarkson, History of Richmond- mond, p. 343. shire, p. 1 fi, supposes the name of the ' Bar-ga.ie, at Richmond, was doubtless castle of Richmond to have been bor- the rn-cr gate (i/ofc being a «•«?/), notwith- rowed either fi-om a castle of the same standing what Mr. Clarkson says iu his name in Ijrittany, or from the circum- History of Richmond, p. Co. Eur-ton, stance that it was situated in a fertile which is very common as the name of a district. place, will be found generally to be near It has been suggested by Mr. Just that a stream, ^ar-flow is the name of the Richmond may be derived from the Anglo- banks of a stream, formerly often flooded, Sax. Reced, a dwelling ; and, as the Norse between Aldbi'ough and Loesy Cross, language has thoroughly modified the ^ Ilartfuvlh, near Gilling, is on one of Northumjjrian Anglo-Saxon, and in many the oldest roads in the country, supposed instances totally superseded it in names to have been used for conveying lead on of places, Rccednnmd would become liorses' backs from the mines, and called Reiki-mund, and ultimately Richnnmd, Jagger-lane. meaning either the iortitied mound or dike, « " Beginning in the middle stream of or the dwelling or settlement on the dil-e. the river Swale, at a place called Hind 'i'lie name Richmond is sjuilt Ryche- Wath, in Low Back House Ing, thence up nnuide, Hil, Rec., 1 nil Kliz., Jiot. 31 ; and the length of ^oa(Z />//>;e." Clarkson's Hist. Rychemond, Trin. Rec, 15lh Eliz., Rot. 5; of Riclunond, p. 425.