Touchy Field
As you leave the village between East Bergholt and Cattawade, on the left hand side at the top of the hill, next to Procession Lane, you will find ‘Touchy Field’
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- Rumors of Touch Grave Field
Details
There have been rumours over the years about this being a plague burial ground from the mid 1600’s and that bodies were brought up from the river to be buried here. Another rumour was that up until the mid 20th century it had never been ploughed, although that certainly isn’t the case now as it is ploughed at times.
Looking at William Brasiers Map from 1731, it names the field ‘Touch Grave Field’ that itself leads to Procession lane, and that leads to another field called ‘Crossman’s Hangings’!
So ‘Crossman’s Hangings’ could of course relate to the wool/cloth period and the field was named because they used to hang the cloth, or perhaps something more gruesome! – Either way presumably Touchy Hill got its name from Touchy Grave.
So the name ‘Touchy’, could it be a warning not to disturb the ground which contained the Black Death, or ‘Grave’ which in old English also means ‘ditch’ or maybe it refers to the landowner at the time, or how about ‘Touch’ which is an old French word that means thicket, so the original landowner lived near a thicket, or Touch Grave, we will never know.
Interestingly it would appear that Procession Lane leads to the direction of Dodnash Priory.
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- Rumors of Touch Grave Field
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