I was looking for a title for my blog that spoke to me of my roots in rural England. I got out a really old map of my local area which then reminded me of my father telling me some of the ancient field names roundabout. Most of these names are forgotten now as fields have either been amalgamated into larger, modern fields or else have disappeared beneath the advancing tidal wave of housebuilding.
"Hanglands" or "hangers" are fields which run steeply downhill towards a river or stream. They're often wooded nowadays as they're too steep to plough, or they may provide rough grazing. They can be beautiful areas though with interesting plants and wildlife.
"Stargoose" was a field my father mentioned, the name of which I loved, though I had no idea what a stargoose might be. I found out years later that it would originally have been "Starve Goose", meaning a piece of pasture so poor that even a goose would starve there! The same sort of humour which led people to call their land "Cold Comfort Farm" or something similar, I suppose.
So there you have it. To travel "By Stargoose And Hanglands" would be to take a path leading through old places that now have little value or importance. That seems to be the way my life has taken me - to all kinds of interesting, beautiful and charming places, none of which has been financially rewarding!
Well, will you journey a little by Stargoose and Hanglands too?
