Source/Archive record SCH9196 - 'Hays' Possible Early Enclosures in Derbyshire

Article examining place and field names in Derbyshire which incorporate the Old English elements (ge)haeg, loosely meaning enclosure, and haga or haia, with a similar meaning. These names have come down to modern times with a variety of different endings but most commonly 'hay'. The study includes an examination of the geographical distribution of these names and early evidence for them both in documents and on the ground. It is possible that some at least of these enclosures had origins in the pre-Norman period and were related to hunting, in particular the hunting of deer, with the word 'hays' potentially meaning deer enclosure. Landscape historians and place-name researchers around the country have been interested in these features and a discussion of some of their work is used to put the Derbyshire evidence in context.