Lost stone circle to be found​…?

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Paulus P
Paulus Oct 1, 2005 17:04:16

In the village of Howden, about 12 miles east of Selby and a mile or 2 north of Goole in East Yorkshire, I've come across records of a place first described in 1284 as 'Ringstainhirst.' There are several other similar spellings of the same site, which apparently had an old hermitage nearby which was associated with a St. Mary Magdelen's Chapel where there was a description from 1391 of 'heremitae de Ryngstanhyrste.' Is this a "stone circle in the wood" which we've all managed to miss?

Any East Yorkshire folk wanna find where this place might have been?

P PeterH
PeterH Oct 1, 2005 17:38:04
Replying to Paulus

Seems highly likely. "hyrst" is specifically a wooded hillock or knoll as opposed to a "den" - a wooded valley etc
Ring is from "hring" meaning a circle but can sometimes be from "Hring" a personal name. There are similar place names like Ringstead, Ringwood, Ringmere etc. Unfortunately "ring" can be also derived from "rima" a border or "hringe" a salt pan.

The"stain" element seems the most certain as it always derives from "stan" and putting all three elements together, you seem to have a stone circle on a wooded hillock. Hope you find It!

P PeterH
PeterH Oct 1, 2005 20:00:24
Replying to Paulus

Yes that is what I meant about the personal name, but I didn't make it clear. However with a personal name associated with it, "-tun" (OE originally meaning a fence or enclosure, but later a farmstead or village) usually comes down as "-ston" and not "-stan". This often erroneously suggests someone's stone. eg Alfriston is Alfric's tun not Alfred's stone.

The name certainly could be from Hring's enclosure or farm on a wooded hill ie Hrings tun hyrst. So if ring was originally the personal name Hring, then it probaby means Hring's farm/enclosure. If ring originally referred to a circular feature and that feature was of stone, then a stone circle seems possible. Just to muddy the waters a bit more - supposing someone built himself a circular enclosure of stone to corral his livestock? All elements come together, but this time they mean simply a circular stone enclosure on a wooded hill - not necessarily prehistoric of course.

All too easy to jump to conclusions and so, as always, the best bet is to consult the local volume of the English Place-name Society in the nearest large public library.

P PeterH
PeterH Oct 1, 2005 21:49:12
Replying to Paulus

further thought - Howden was "Heafuddaene" meaning head or chief valley in 959, so perhaps you are looking for a one-time wooded knoll rising from the valley.