Ryton, Cromwell Fishery

HER Number:
12236

District:
Gateshead

Site Name:
Ryton, Cromwell Fishery

Place:
Ryton

Map Sheet:
NZ16SE

Class:
Agriculture and Subsistence

Site Type: Broad:
Fish Trap

Site Type: Specific:
Fish Weir

General Period:
Medieval

Specific Period:
C12-C14

Form of Evidence:
Documentary Evidence

Description:
Crumwell in 1128, Cromwell in 1344, Crumbwell (there is a Crombwelbank in Hatfield's survey of Ryton in 1382). 'Crumbe' means a bend (in a river) in old English. 'Crumb' means 'crooked'. 'Wella' means 'spring'. 'wel' means 'deep pool'. Thus 'spring in or by the river bend' or 'crooked winding stream'. Cromwell is marked on the 1st edition 6" Ordnance Survey map in the river at NZ 176 645. The 'crumbe' is clearly the bend in the River Tyne at this point. Owned by the bishop of Durham. The main catch would have been salmon, but in fact a wider range of fish would have been taken (eg. Eels, pike, minnow, burbot, trout and lamprey' {G.N. Garmondsway (ed), 1939, 'Aelfric's Colloquy', pp 101-2}.

Easting:
176

Northing:
645

Grid Reference:
NZ176645

Lats/Lons:

Sources:
Victor Watts, 1986, Some Northumbrian Fishery Names II in Durham Archaeological Journal, 2, 1986, pp 55-61