The Roman Map of Britain Arduara Woodbury Farm, Axminster, Devon

Ardua rauenatone (R&C 9) wrongly divided conflation of Arduara and uenatone NEXT

Arduara looks to be the same as the Afon Artro, earlier Arthro, of Merionethshire , see Thomas 216. Given its position in the manuscript the position of Arduara seems better associated with the river Yarty which ERN 479 derives from Brit.*arto- 'bear', W arth. (A more recent interpretation points to W hardd 'beautiful, handsome, goodly, nice'.)  Ekwall thought the early spellings of Jerti, Yearte, and Yartey 'inexact' and more properly representing OE Eart- . Arduara's -ara suffix would appear to have been lost, or was it replaced by  OE êa 'river' - êa Arti? Or is Yarty really y Arty 'the Arty'? One other possibility is Iarduara where an initial I was considered a text divider and discarded during copying.

Opposite the meeting of the Yarty with the river Axe is the Roman fort at Woodbury Farm (SY2997). The fort is at the intersection of the Roman roads Margary 5a (foss way. axmouth-ilchester) and Margary 4f (dorchester-exeter).

WOODBURY FARM; AXMINSTER Roman Fort SY2997 EHNMR-650062 
NATIONAL MONUMENT NO: 22301

The Roman Map of Britain Venatone Pomeroy Wood, Gittisham, Devon

Venatone looks very much like the village-name Feniton Finatona, Finetone 1086; Feneton' 1169. The Roman fort at Hembury hillfort (ST1103) shares Ekwall's lost Vine (on) Finan 1061. Feniton is on Margary 4f, as is the preceding entry.

Since my original equation of Venatone with the fort at Hembury, a fort at Pomeroy Wood, Gittisham  (SY1399) has been identified. The latter is on the Roman road, rather than 4km removed, but it is not located on the Vine unless the name was that of the River Ottery. Venn Ottery, 8 km downriver from Feniton, was Fenotri 1156.

There is recorded an aqua de Wanetinge 1244 in Dorset near Bridport. Ekwall equates this with the Wantage of Berkshire Wanetinge broc 964. He believes it to be an English name, considering it unlikely they would both have an -ing ending. In the vicinity of Bridport is the Roman fort known as Waddon Hill (st44o1).

Also to be considered is the name-form of the Yorkshire Went Weneta 1159-60, ERN 449.

EHNMR-1157753 POMEROY WOOD; GITTISHAM Roman fort SY1399

CDEPN p. 663 has the N Yorkshire river Went as derived from Brit *ueneto- or *uenetio- related to W gwen 'smile, mirth, favor'. Perhaps a better form of Venatone is Venetone.