Priddy Circles

Priddy Circles are a linear arrangement of four circular earthwork enclosures near the village of Priddy on the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England. The circles have been listed as Scheduled Ancient Monuments, and described as 'probable Neolithic ritual or ceremonial monuments similar to a henge'.

The southernmost Priddy Circle falls on adjoining land to a house and stables that are owned by retired business man Roger Penny. In 2012 Penny was fined £10,000 after the earthwork was damaged by work he had permitted.

Description

The enclosures range in diameter from 185 to 194 m (607 to 636 ft). Three of the circles are closely spaced in a nearly straight line, while the fourth is 350 m (1,150 ft) to the north and somewhat out of line with the other three. The total arrangement is spread over roughly 1.2 km (0.75 miles). There is no missing enclosure in the gap between the northernmost enclosure and the others. This gap is bisected by the B3135 road and the course of the Roman road which runs between Charterhouse and Old Sarum.

Priddy

Coordinates: 51°15′15″N 2°40′38″W / 51.2543°N 2.6771°W / 51.2543; -2.6771

Priddy is a village in Somerset, England in the Mendip Hills, close to East Harptree and 5 miles (8 km) north-west of Wells. It is in the local government district of Mendip.

The village lies in a small hollow near the summit of the Mendip range of hills, at an elevation of nearly 1,000 feet (300 m) above sea-level, and has evidence of occupation since neolithic times. There are also the remains of lead mining activities and caves in the limestone beneath the village.

It is the venue for the annual Folk Festival and Sheep Fair, which has been held here since 1348.

Etymology

Priddy, with medieval variations of spellings such as Predy, Priddie, Pridi, Pridia, Pridie and Prydde, is a name that has been ascribed to the Welsh influence that pre-dated the arrival of the Saxon English. It has been particularly attributed to pridd (= "earth"). This might be suggestive of the Iron Age mining activities. The Latin words pratum (= a meadow) and praedium (= a farm) have given rise to such Alpine names as Preda and Prada and it has been suggested that they are also the root for the cymric words prydd, pryddion meaning "production", as with a fertile meadow. "Priddy" could just mean "meadow land".

Priddy (surname)

Priddy is an anglicized surname thought by some to be one of the Welsh "patronymics," or names created from the father's name.

Origin

The name may have been derived from the Welsh ap Ridel, meaning "son of Ridel", an ancient Welsh name from the parish of Lillieslead, County Roxburgh. Variations of the Welsh form are ap Rhiddid, meaning "son of Rhiddid", or even ap Redith, which means "son of Redith", a short form of Meredith. If so it has its roots in the personal name Maredudd, of which the Old Welsh form is Morgetiud, of which the first element may mean "pomp" or "splendor" and the second, iudd, meaning "lord". That being the case, Priddy may mean or imply "son of splendid lord" or simply "son of lord."

It is also possible that Priddy was derived from the personal name Predyr or Peredur (perhaps from Old Welsh peri ‘spears’ + dur ‘hard’, ‘steel’), which was borne, in Arthurian legend, by one of the knights of the Round Table.

The name may have been derived from occupational trade, from the Welsh prydydd, meaning "bard".

Priddy (disambiguation)

Priddy may refer to:

Places