Well done to the Romsey Advertiser for hosting a discussion on the waterways of Romsey and their Saxon names, a particularly appropriate topic given the town’s Anglo-Saxon origins. 

The initial letter to the editor suggested updating the name ‘Tadburn Lake’ by dropping the ambiguous second word, despite its derivation from the Saxon ‘lacu’ meaning a slow-moving stream. 

This provoked a response defending the name as part of the town’s history. I am sympathetic to both points of view, but feel that there is more at stake in preserving Romsey’s heritage than the names on a map.

The name Tadburn is derived from the Saxon (Old English) ‘burna’ meaning an intermittent stream and ‘tada’, toad. The word Lake was added later, perhaps to conform to the other lakenames in the town. The stream was not a ‘lacu’. Water diverted from the Fishlake to flow down the back of properties in Middlebridge Street to provide sanitation was called the S**tlake. This name was recorded as early as the 14th century. The name Fishlake first appears in descriptions of land in Fishlake Meadows. The waterway’s Saxon name is not known. Early documents refer to it as the Holbrook, the brook in a hollow. 

The Fishlake is also not a ‘lacu’. More importantly, it is not a tributary of the Test, it is not a braid of the Test and it is not a canal, all descriptions that have been applied by historians. The Fishlake is an artificial waterway that was built before the Norman Conquest, probably in the 960s by King Edgar and Bishop Æthelwold. It was built to supply water to Romsey Abbey and to provide power for the town’s mills. It continued to power the mills into the 20th century, as well as providing water for the tanneries in Middlebridge Street. The Fishlake dictated the layout of the town, with adjacent properties benefitting from the water for the removal of waste. 

It marked the boundary of Romsey Infra, an area under the control of the nuns. Romsey might not have grown into a town if the Saxons hadn’t built the Fishlake.

The Fishlake is an exceptional example of Anglo-Saxon engineering. It should be preserved and celebrated. Romsonians ought to be made aware of its importance. They can find out more on the Anglo-Saxon Romsey website - search for ‘Saxon Romsey’.

Karen Anderson,
New Road,
Romsey

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