handbook of the origin of place-names in wales and monmouthshire

Crickhowell and some in the direction of Abergavenny. The town is almost encircled by ridges andmountains. English name — Ridgeton.Abersychan. — Sychan is the name of the rivulet that joins the Afon Lwyd at the place. Sych, dry; an-ain, astream of water, a brook. We find a brook called Sychryd in Breconshire, and also Hepste, which is probablya corruption of Hesp-an, water that dries up. We have also Havesp; haf, summer; hesp, dry. In summer timethe channels of these rivulets dry up; hence the name. English name — Drymouth.Abertillery. — Tillery is the name of the river that flows through the place. Til implies a small thing; air, clear,bright; gwy, water; the name, according to this derivation, signifies the mouth of the small clear river. Anotherattempt: Tel, implying straight; llerw, soft, smooth; gwy, water. We are induced to think the name is acompound of telor, warbler, and gwy, water; signifying the warbling river. English name — Warbleton.Argoed. — A contraction of ar-y-coed, signifying a place situated on or above a wood. Dr. O. Pughe sayscamps were fortified, on emergencies, by felling trees to surround them, and one so constructed was calledArgoed. It is cognate with Arghait in Scotland. English name — Upwood.Bassaleg. — Many conjectures have been propounded as to the origin of this name. Nennius and othersthink it means Maes Aleg, the field of Alectus, signifying elect-land, Aleg being a Welshism of Alectus. It issupposed that here the famous Myrddin was discovered by the messengers of King Gwrtheyrn. About a milefrom the village there is a circular entrenchment supposed to have been a Saxon camp. Some think thecorrect wording is Bats-Aleg; baes-bais, flats or shallows, a ford; Aleg, a contraction of Alexander. It is,according to some, a corruption of nuus-yr-helyg, the field of the willows, from the abundance of willow-treesin the vicinity. In the middle ages there was a priory here dedicated to St. Basil, which was a cell inconnection with Glastonbury Abbey. The name of the priory in full was probably Basili Ecclisia, the church ofBasil. The name was ultimately contracted into Basil-ecc, and further corrupted into Bassilech and Bassaleg.The parish church is dedicated to St. Basil. Basil-ecc is identical in meaning with Llanbasil. English name —Basilchurch or Basilton.Bedwas. — Some derive the name from ????. Bedwas, one of the twelve sons of Helig ab Glanawg. We areinclined to derive it from bedw, birch; and as, a plain surface; signifying a place of birch-trees. English name— Birchton.Blaenavon. — Blaen here means the source of the river; Avon, river. This place is situated near the sourceof the river Llwyd; hence the name. English name — Springton.Blaina. — A slight mutation of Blaenau, plural form of blaen, source. Blaenau afonydd, the sources of rivers.The name signifies a place where several streams of water commence their sea-ward journey. English name— Springston.Bryngwyn. — The correct wording, perhaps, is Brein Gwyn, the supreme or royal tribunal. We do not knowof any vestige of this royal court, but a British camp called " The Camp Hill " is in the parish. English name —Rexhill.Bwlch Trewyn. — Bwlch, a break or breach, a gap; generally applied to places where mountains terminate,and form a pass; Trewyn, leading away, persuasion. English name — Passton.Caergwent. — Caer, fortified wall, camp; gwent, a fair or open region. The name Gwent in ancient timescomprehended portions of the counties of Gloucester, Hereford, and Monmouth; and Cas gwent, or theVenta Silurum of the Romans, was the capital; but now it is confined to the county of Monmouth. Englishname — Campton.Caerleon. — Caer, already explained; lleon, legion. It is generally believed that the Roman station of theSecond Augustan Legion was situated here, which was then called Isca Silurum. The Silures occupied theeastern half of the country between the lower couise of the Severn and Cardigan Bay, and Isca was thereputed seat of Caractacus when leader of the Silures. Isca is the Latin for Wysg or Usk. The Second Legionwas permanently posted here under the command of Vespasian, hence the name Caerlleon ar Wysg - theCamp of the Legion on the Usk. English name — Legionton.Caldicot. — Some think the right wording is Galdigoed; gal, a plain; digoed, woodless; signifying a woodlessregion. Others derive it from Ch-dy-coed, a house of retreat in the woods. Isaac Taylor derives it as ????Origin of Place-names in Wales & Monmouthshire Page 76