If anyone knows it'll be BrigantesNation. He's the expert.

K x

< Can anyone help? I've been trying to find out if there was a name the Thorborough complex/area was known by in antiquity? >

I assume that y' mean a title other than its etymological derivative of 'a hawthorn tree on/by a hill or mound'? (Smith's "English Place-Name Elements I" 1956)

I'd be intrigued to know the olde title for the region miself.

Sorry for the delay, PC probs.

Firstly, Thornborough is the modern name for three henges that cover over a mile in extent, including East and West Tanfield, Nosterfield and Thornborough - so we need to take care about which name we are looking at.

If have had suggestions of three different etymologies for the Thornborough, including "Tri-boroughs" and also that the name Thorn occurs up here in places where there is a Roman road. I have a 1720 map that shows a Roman road going through Thornborough, then to Thornton Steward, then onto Thornton Stewart. So I suggest that as with all things, etymologies are just best guesses based on the knowledge of the guesser!

The info about Roman Thornborough given on this thread - wrong Thornborough. There have been Roman finds at Nosterfield - two wells and a kiln, but no fort is known in the immediate area so no Roman name is known for the area.

It may be that Tanfield refers to Thornborough, since it is in the field between East and West Tanfield but again I'm sure someone will come up with an etimological source linked with tanning.

Nosterfield does not appear in the Domesday book and I suggest that