Boring individual that I am, I was puzzling over why Micklegate, York's historic main road, was apparently known originally as Micklelith. Then I discovered mentions of nearby places called Lounelithgate (1203) and Lomelith.
Was it something to do with lithos, the Greek word for stone, in reference to the streets being paved? Or maybe hlíð, the Norse word for a slope, with the roads sloping down to the Ouse?
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| This is not the Lith you are looking for. |
As so often, British History Online provided the answer. In 'The Micklegate Area', they describe the 19th Century Victoria Bar as being built on the site of an old, arched gateway, and explain this as probably being "the Lounelith of 12th Century documents...a name meaning 'the hidden or obscure gate' in contrast to Micklelith, 'the great gate'."
So Micklegate is the great road, and Micklelith the great gate. Thank goodness they never called it Micklelithgate.
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