Ryton, Cromwell Fishery

Crumwell in 1128, Cromwell in 1344, Crumbwell (there is a Crombwelbank in Hatfield's survey of Ryton in 1382). 'Crumbe' means a bend (in a river) in old English. 'Crumb' means 'crooked'. 'Wella' means 'spring'. 'wel' means 'deep pool'. Thus 'spring in or by the river bend' or 'crooked winding stream'. Cromwell is marked on the 1st edition 6" Ordnance Survey map in the river at NZ 176 645. The 'crumbe' is clearly the bend in the River Tyne at this point. Owned by the bishop of Durham. The main catch would have been salmon, but in fact a wider range of fish would have been taken (eg. Eels, pike, minnow, burbot, trout and lamprey' {G.N. Garmondsway (ed), 1939, 'Aelfric's Colloquy', pp 101-2}.