Pity Me
Encyclopedia
Pity Me is a suburban village of Durham
, England
, located north of Framwellgate Moor
and west of Newton Hall
.
, such as Petit Mere (i.e. from Norman
French
), Petty Mere or Peaty Mere. Related theories suggest that it comes from Pithead Mere, referring to an extended area of boggy waste ground onto which the outwash from minehead pumping engines was discharged, or that petite mer is an ironic name for the settlement given the arid nature of the land.
However, the existence of several examples of other, lesser settlements, that share this name in Northumberland - particularly one north of Barrasford in North Tynedale, and another outside Hartburn, east of Morpeth - suggests that it may be derived from some actual feature of the landscape, or former land-use, that has since been forgotten (one exotic suggestion for the North Tynedale example being the Ancient British term "Beddan Maes", meaning "burial ground" - although this suggestion has never been offered to explain the name of the Durham settlement).
More obvious folk etymologies
include the story that the coffin of St Cuthbert
was dropped near Pity Me on the way to Durham, at which point the saint implored
the monks carrying him to take pity on him and be more careful; or that coming to the location during a flight from a Viking
raid, a group of monks sang the 51st Psalm
, the Latin
version of which includes the words "Miserere mei, Deus", which may be rendered in English as "Pity me, O God".
which connects to Darlington and Newcastle via Chester-le-Street
along the former route of the A1 through the region.
The Arnison Centre, an out of town retail park
, is located on the edge of the village.
and Barrasford
in Northumberland
, near Bradbury
in south County Durham
and Pityme
in Cornwall
.
Other unusual place names in the North East include the village of No Place
, believed to be a contraction of North Place, as marked on the original Ordnance Survey
maps, and Bearpark
, from Beaurepaire, French for "beautiful retreat" - the name of a nearby Norman priory.
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, located north of Framwellgate Moor
Framwellgate Moor
Framwellgate Moor is a village and civil parish in County Durham, England. It is situated to the north of Durham, and is adjacent to Pity Me and Newton Hall. It has a population of 5,404....
and west of Newton Hall
Newton Hall
Newton Hall is a large housing estate in County Durham, in England. It is situated to the north of Durham, near Framwellgate Moor and Pity Me, and has the East Coast Main Line running the length of its east boundary...
.
Etymology
There are various theories on the origin of Pity Me's unusual name. Most likely, as speculated in the Oxford Dictionary of British Place Names, it is simply "a whimsical name bestowed in the 19th century on a place considered desolate, exposed or difficult to cultivate". Alternatively it may be a shortened form of an earlier place name referring to a shallow lake or mereMere (lake)
Mere in English refers to a lake that is broad in relation to its depth, e.g. Martin Mere. A significant effect of its shallow depth is that for all or most of the time, it has no thermocline.- Etymology :...
, such as Petit Mere (i.e. from Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
), Petty Mere or Peaty Mere. Related theories suggest that it comes from Pithead Mere, referring to an extended area of boggy waste ground onto which the outwash from minehead pumping engines was discharged, or that petite mer is an ironic name for the settlement given the arid nature of the land.
However, the existence of several examples of other, lesser settlements, that share this name in Northumberland - particularly one north of Barrasford in North Tynedale, and another outside Hartburn, east of Morpeth - suggests that it may be derived from some actual feature of the landscape, or former land-use, that has since been forgotten (one exotic suggestion for the North Tynedale example being the Ancient British term "Beddan Maes", meaning "burial ground" - although this suggestion has never been offered to explain the name of the Durham settlement).
More obvious folk etymologies
False etymology
Folk etymology is change in a word or phrase over time resulting from the replacement of an unfamiliar form by a more familiar one. Unanalyzable borrowings from foreign languages, like asparagus, or old compounds such as samblind which have lost their iconic motivation are...
include the story that the coffin of St Cuthbert
Cuthbert of Lindisfarne
Saint Cuthbert was an Anglo-Saxon monk, bishop and hermit associated with the monasteries of Melrose and Lindisfarne in the Kingdom of Northumbria, at that time including, in modern terms, northern England as well as south-eastern Scotland as far as the Firth of Forth...
was dropped near Pity Me on the way to Durham, at which point the saint implored
Miracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
the monks carrying him to take pity on him and be more careful; or that coming to the location during a flight from a Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
raid, a group of monks sang the 51st Psalm
Psalm 51
Psalm 51 , traditionally referred to as the Miserere, its Latin incipit, is one of the Penitential Psalms. It begins: Have mercy on me, O God....
, the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
version of which includes the words "Miserere mei, Deus", which may be rendered in English as "Pity me, O God".
Transport
Pity Me is bypassed by the A167A167 road
The A167 is a road in North East England. Most of its route was formerly the A1 as most of it is the original route of the Great North Road until the A1 was re-routed with the opening of the A1 in the 1960s....
which connects to Darlington and Newcastle via Chester-le-Street
Chester-le-Street
Chester-le-Street is a town in County Durham, England. It has a history going back to Roman times when it was called Concangis. The town is located south of Newcastle upon Tyne and west of Sunderland on the River Wear...
along the former route of the A1 through the region.
The Arnison Centre, an out of town retail park
Retail park
In the United Kingdom, a retail park is a grouping of many retail warehouses and superstores with associated car parking. Its North American equivalent is a power centre. Retail parks are found on the fringes of most large towns and cities in highly accessible locations and are aimed at households...
, is located on the edge of the village.
See also
There are various other instances of the place name "Pity Me" in the north of England: near MorpethMorpeth, Northumberland
Morpeth is the county town of Northumberland, England. It is situated on the River Wansbeck which flows east through the town. The town is from the A1, which bypasses it. Since 1981, it has been the administrative centre of the County of Northumberland. In the 2001 census the town had a population...
and Barrasford
Barrasford
Barrasford is a village in Northumberland, in England. It is situated to the north of Hexham, on the North Tyne. Barrasford is an ancient village that lies within the shadow of Haughton Castle. The village is notable for being the location of a Bronze Age burial site where The Reaverhill Dagger...
in Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
, near Bradbury
Bradbury, County Durham
Bradbury is a village in County Durham, England. It is situated between Sedgefield and Newton Aycliffe, close to the A1 and A689, and is approximately from Middlesbrough. Bradbury is a small agricultural village. The moorland around it is of glacial origin....
in south County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
and Pityme
Pityme
Pityme is a small village at in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.Pityme is at the junction of the road from Wadebridge to Polzeath and the road from St Minver to Rock. It straddles the boundary between the civil parishes of St Minver Highlands and St Minver Lowlands. It is situated between...
in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
.
Other unusual place names in the North East include the village of No Place
No Place
No Place is a small village near the town of Stanley in County Durham, England, east of Stanley and west of Beamish. Situated to the south of the A693, it is home to an award-winning real ale pub, the Beamish Mary Inn , and lies near the Beamish Mary coal pit...
, believed to be a contraction of North Place, as marked on the original Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
maps, and Bearpark
Bearpark
Bearpark is a village and civil parish in County Durham in England. It is situated two and a half miles west of Durham, and a short distance to the north of Ushaw Moor....
, from Beaurepaire, French for "beautiful retreat" - the name of a nearby Norman priory.