Fine Burn, in Bolihope, is so named owing to the stream being a line of boundary. The words "fine," "confines," "finish," "finis," mark the end, and the above stream is the boundary between the parishes of Stanhope and Wolsingham. The Roman camp, ad fines camps, is situated close to the border-line between England and Scotland.
In Rookhope Smails Burn implies the small burns—Anglo-Saxon smala, small—two little runners rendered somewhat historic in the days of Border broils, as we find in the old ballad of Rookhope Ryde. In the same district we have Red Burn, and Over Red Burn. Red is from Anglo-Saxon read, rud; Danish röd, red, the red stream; or the Celtic rhyd, a ford; whilst over is from the Anglo-Saxon ofer, a shore, or ofer, over, above or higher—hence High Redburn.
Yeky Burn is from Anglo-Saxon æc, eac, oak, the stream of the oaks. There are two Heathery Burns, one associated with the noted cave at Stanhope. Old spelling hetherie, hetherye, hethery, from heath, Anglo-Saxon hæth, Scotch heather.
The name well is given to a large number of tiny streams in Weardale. Dutch wellen, Anglo-Saxon wel, a fountain of water, and in Saxon names of places, wel, wyl, and well often occur.
Kelhope and Welhope are literally the hopes out of which water wells. The source of the latter is named Wellheads. At the head of smaller wells there are springs, places where water springs out—Anglo-Saxon springan—hence we have such names as Spring Wells, Whitewell Spring, White Wells, White Springs.
Ludwell is the people’s well, Anglo-Saxon leod, people. This water springs out of a cave in the great limestone, where, in olden times, the Weardale folks might have congregated, for the Saxon prefix shows it to have been the well of the people, like Ludlaw, the people’s hill, suggesting the days of village communities, and the days of superstition when wells were in many cases held sacred. These were generally iron wells—locally, haliwells. There are many wells known as holywells in this district, some of which are also termed spa-wells. This term is from the bath town, Spa, in Belgium, derived from espa.
Of other wells proper, we might mention Sunderland Well, Hunterley Well, Huntshield Well, Black Dene Well, Carrbrow Well, Earnwell; Anglo-Saxon earn, ern, an eagle—the eagle’s well. Several names of places in England are from the eagle. Toft Well, east of Stanhope, is the well in the toft or field, and the initial in Totley Well is probably from toft. Bot’s Well, at Frosterley, is supposed to be that of St. Botolph, to which saint, the old chapel, close by the well, was dedicated. Poppet Well is a curious name, and is probably "coppet," from cop, a head. The adjectival component in Duntert Well is evidently the same as in Dunter Linn, at Eastgate. Boutes Well is Bolts Well, as in Boltsburn. Berry Well is apparently the well of the mountain, Anglo-Saxon beorg, beorh, a hill, a mountain. At Newhouse there is a Bank Spring, and at Westgate a Spring Bank, indicating at each place a bank and a spring of water. Cuthbert’s Spring, near Westgate, is in honour of the patron saint of Durham, and it is no wonder that we find the name of St. Cuthbert associated with names of places. On Harthope Moor, and close to the road, is an excellent spring called Jenny’s Meggie, and at Frosterley a spring is called Meggie.
Cleugh, gill, and sike are associated with water. We have in the parish of Stanhope, in round numbers, 30 cleughs, 10 gills, and 70 sikes. Cleugh is from the Anglo-Saxon clough, a cleft down the side of a hill; Danish kloft; Norwegian kliufa, to split—a narrow ravine more like a cleft in the hill than a water-worn valley. Yearn Cleugh, written earne in 1666, is the eagle’s haunt, or that of the falcon, the latter being once reared in Weardale for the purpose of the Bishop’s hunt.
In 1666 we find mention of Addercleugh, the adder being frequently found in Weardale. Whick Cleugh—in 1595 written Weekerclough—is probably from the Anglo-Saxon wic, a marsh, but more probably from wice, the mountain ash, or rowan-tree, well known in the dale, and also known as the wich-elm.
Gill is from the Norse gil, a mountain chasm, a glen or fissure in the hillside. For this name we are indebted to the Norwegians, who peopled the neighbouring county of Cumberland. The best-known places of this class are Aller Gill, Lodge Gill, and Dry Gill, as being associated with habitations and lead mines. The first is the gill of the alders. In Burnhope there is Lodge Gill, a well-known name owing to a once famous lead-mine being there situated. The name very probably originated from some forest animal lodging there, as we find Lodge Field, Anglo-Saxon logian, to place, put, lodge—the field where probably deer were lodged in the forest-hunting days of the princely Bishops of Durham.