Thank you Jennifer. Doing links is not one of my skills.
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Another helpful tool on Northumberland place names is book "GOODWIFE HOT, Northumberland's Past in it's Place Names" by Godfrey Watson, pub.1970.
He writes....
" The honour of bearing the oldest English name in Northumberland may well go to BIRLING near Warkworth, which was probably founded in the C6th. As late as 1187 it was still known as BERLINGA, meaning - Of the Sons of the Cupbearer, or perhaps, less romantically, - Of the man whose shield bore the device of a Boar.
" At GLOSTER HILL near Amble, a Roman altar was discovered in 1856 and there are other signs of Roman occupation; hence the name GLOUCESTRE in 1178. The better known Gloucester, in the county of that name, derives it's name from ceaster, for "camp" and from the Celtic word "bright" or "splendid"
In the case of GLOSTER HILL it is just possible that the name is a corruption of of Goatchester, the Goats being the Marshy land by te Gildean burn where salt used to be made.
" Maidens Hall (once Face-the-Deil) is one of those names like Maiden Castle and Maiden's Causeway, the literal meaning of which is obvious but any sensible explanation singularly lacking. Was the place inhabited by Maiden Ladies. was it originally a Hill so easily defensible that Girls could have held it against all comers? Were3 Nuns involved ? One simply does not know"
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Michael
