Gateshead, Grene yar' Fishery

Grene yar' in 1128, Greneyre in 1279. 'grene' is Old English for 'green' or 'grassy spot or village green'. Owned by the bishop of Durham. Found guilty of trespass by 42 fathoms beyond its allowed limits in 1279. 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}.