Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 9.djvu/415

 THE BATTLE OP ASHDOWN. 321 is very great. It is clear that it took place somewhere in West Saxony, at no great distance from Reading, in a hilly and hkewise open country. All these characteristics, added to a correspondence of name, are to be found united in that place. A word, however, first, on the opinion of liishop Gibson, who fixes upon Aston, now called Aston Tirold, a village near Wallingford, as the scene of action. The only reason adduced in support of this opinion, is a sort of collateral argument drawn from another passage in the Saxon Chronicle (under the year 1006,) wherein it is .said, that the Danes marched from Wallingford, along ^Ecesdune to Cwicchelmslawe. By the latter he understands Cuck- hamsley Hill, between which and Walhngford, Aston Ues in a tolerably direct line. To give probability to this conjecture, it would be necessary, first to identify the -^cesdune of the Saxon Chronicle, Aimo 871, with the iEcesdune, mentioned in the same, A?mo 1006, a point by no means certain : and, secondly, the ancient Cicchelmslawe with the tumulus now called Cuckhamsley Hill, both of which points "vill be here- after discussed : but on the present occasion it is not necessary, as the variance in etymology between the names of Aston and Ashdown is completely fatal to the hypothesis. Aston, anciently written Estone, signifies the East Town, that is, in reference probably to a principal Township. The names of Easton and Weston are very common, and are generally hamlets situated in that part of parishes to which their name refers. Ashdown, anciently written .^Ecesdune, (pronounced JSschesdune, from whence the corru[)tion to Ashesdown and Ashdown is very slight,) signifies a hill of ashes, or abounding in Ash trees, a species of wood still very common on the Berkshire Downs. The first person who paid any close attention to the subject, was Mr. Francis Wise, to whom the above-named concurrent testimonies, together with local peculiarities, pointed out the apparently true site. Mr. Wise, in 1738, published a pamphlet in which he fixes on this Ashdown, of which we are now treating. " Here, then," says he, " I was persuaded to look for the field of battle, and was agreeably surprised to find my ex- pectation answered in every respect. Here my imagination VOL. IX. U