Cylchgronau Cymru

There are four names in the Charters, Afon Garno, Pwll Llydan, Nanthanauc and Nant Garthbranddu. Today Afon Garno is the name of the river throughout its course; up to this century the length up stream from the village was known as Pwll Llydan. Nant Hanog has become Nant Glanhanog. The fourth is probably called Nant Allt y Fronddu today. Nine stream names appear in the testimonies presented to the court in a boundary dispute which took place well over three and a half centuries ago. The names Nant Wgi, Nant Glanhanog, Nant Cwm Gerwyn, Afon Garno and Pwll Llydan survived. The other names, — Nant Clethyddod, Natn y March, Nant Llewyrn and Nant yr Hebog are not known to Carno inhabitants today. Of the names on the early nineteenth century maps the following are recognised today, Afon Gerniog, Afon Garno, Afon Pwll Llydan, Afon Cwm Llwyd, Afon Cledan, Nant y Garth, Nant Hir and Nant Llewyrch. Nant y March and Nant y Terfyn and names unknown to local informants. A stream name associated with a place-name is likely to survive as long as the feature or habitation is in existence and maintains its significance. Names such as Afon Garno and Guilsfield Brook are unlikely to disappear but a name such as Nant y Bwt, called after an inn, can be expected to be forgotten after the inn itself had ceased to be. The most vulnerable names of small streams are those in the independent group. The four names in the account of the 1608 Carno law suit which are not known today are of this kind. Two of the remaining names from the same source would probably also be unknown, Wgi and Hanog, were they not entrenched in the names of habitations. A consequence of the mutability in the names of small streams is that there is uncertainty even among local people as to what they are or should be called. Often there is more than one name in use. These names are of the associative types, usually refering to farms on the courses of the streams. 10 It is intriguing to speculate on the effect that familiarity with maps and the interests of outsiders may be having on the process of change. These new factors may be a stabilizing influence but they may, however, not be enough to outweigh the effect of other new factors. In rural communities there has been a loosening of bonds and allegiances, resulting in a weaking of conservative tendencies. In addition change has been hastened in some districts by the death and migration of users of the old names and the occupation of their dwellings by strangers, many of them temporary residents only. It is heartening to find that some of the newcomers have regard for their new environment, including its place names. As the subject of this study has been stream names and not the streams themselves, nothing has been said of changes which the streams have undergone or of the water courses which have come or gone. Rivers have changed beds: the name Hen Afon is for example a witness to an old water course. The main river, the Severn, has altered its course on several lengths. For further examples one can refer to the marking on enclosure maps of the old and new courses of the Bele 1 Mr Arnold Davies. Newtown, has kindly given me an account of the different names by which a small stream flowing into Banw at SJ OSS074 R. was known: this account illustrates the point excellently. I translate his note, — I asked her (a local inhabitant) about the stream which I knew as Nant Cwmllwynog. Her family used to call it Nant Pengochel because it was down in the bottom near Pen y Gochel that they used to cross it." Mr Davies adds. "Exactly as children of Top Llan (in Llanfair Caereinion) used to call Nant Hiriaeth/Hiriarth 'Nant y Pombren' because we were crossing it in the bottom (Pont y deri. where Pontbren Johnson used to he). But when speaking of the same brook passing through larms. we used to say Nant Tylissa/Tylissa Brook. Nant Glynhinarth/Glanhiriarth Brook, and so on. That is the custom with brooks."