Pub's pig name row oinks on (From Swindon Advertiser)
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Pub's pig name row oinks on
RENAMING an Old Town pub the Pig on the Hill is degrading to the area, according to a local resident.
A letter to Swindon Advertiser condemning the change of name from The Pipers Arms to The Pig On The Hill has sparked a controversy over keeping historic pub names intact even if their meanings have long vanished in the mists of time.
Siobhan and Daniel O’Connell from local family firm ABR Leisure Ltd have taken over the pub in Devizes Road, which closed last year.
In a letter to the Advertiser, local history enthusiast Mary Ratcliffe, from Old Town, said she was concerned about the new name degrading the dignity of the area.
She wrote: “I beseech you, not the degradation of The Pig On The Hill in a very precious part of Swindon that is struggling to reclaim its heart and soul.’’ Daniel, 34, revealed that they chose the name because of the common belief that Swindon is named after the Anglo Saxon word for pig, which is Swine, and Dun, which is hill.
But archaeologist Bryn Walters believes there is no evidence to suggest that Swindon ever had anything to do with pigs in its early origins.
Bryn said: “The name is Saxon in origin and what would be most logical is that it comes from a wealthy Saxon Thane – lord – who owned the hill. He is believed to have been called Sven.
“The hill would have been devoid of vegetation. It was open landscape at that time and pigs live in forest areas. Excavation around the Locarno area revealed a Saxon settlement.
“In fact a piece of treasure, gold with a garnet inlay, was trapped in the floor.’’ He added that pubs should keep their original names becomes they often related to the history of the site.
“Why not call it Sven’s Wateringhole?’’ he said.
Over the years the pub has had many names: The Fountain, Cartoons, The Rock Garden, The Hobgoblin and then The Pipers Arms, and now is set to become The Pig on the Hill But Daniel insists there was never any intention of offending anyone with the name.
“It has become a talking point and raised the subject of its historical meaning, but we never thought it would raise such controversy and certainly never meant for it to offend or to be seen as degrading in any way,’’ he said.
“As a family that are proud to have been born and bred in Swindon, we wanted to choose a name that was specific to the history of our home town.
“We kept coming back to the Saxon era and their residing on The Hill, plus the fact that the cattle town was made up predominantly of pigs, which is how we decided on the name ‘The Pig on the Hill’.’’ l See letters: Pages 12&13
Comments(17)
Gooey
says...
10:21am Mon 3 May 10
Terence
says...
10:38am Mon 3 May 10
.
I prefer traditional, and original, pub names but 'Pig On The Hill' isn't too bad.
The Witch
says...
10:53am Mon 3 May 10
Nothing wrong with Pig on the Hill, they could easily name most of the pubs in the town centre Pigs down the Hill, seeing the antics of some of their customers at weekends!
RFM
says...
12:00pm Mon 3 May 10
Maybe she should move to Tunbridge Wells and cancel her subscription?
Yerma
says...
1:14pm Mon 3 May 10
anyone who finds an excuse to use the word beseech needs a trip to the slaughterhouse. fuddy duddy git.
Its just a pub name, and all this fuss is creating great advertising.
Pig on the hill is a good fun name.
Captain Sensible
says...
3:22pm Mon 3 May 10
villageoldman
says...
5:37pm Mon 3 May 10
I Too
says...
11:01pm Mon 3 May 10
The other philosophies, of someone, unknown, believed to have been called Sven, and some other unknown, callled John Swin, appear to be just mumbo jumbo, brought on by some mis-guided snobbery towards the towns' historic roots.
Everyone knows a cattle market existed in Old Town.
We live in "Pig Hill",Get over it .
Regardless of it's name, it WAS a town famous for great feats of victorian engineering, and social reform.
Time to stop trying to bury its' history, and market its' heritage instead.
I Too
says...
11:17pm Mon 3 May 10
Dennis Grant was also very Chummy with Matthew Singh (owner of The Mechanics'). He was always trying to push SBC, to allow the ten storey greenhouse plans.
I believe Matthew Singh was also once secretary of the previously bankrupted chamber of commerce.
I suspect a small amount of investigative journalism would unveil some very newsworthy content.
Go Adver, Go Adver.
Brizisnextpm
says...
12:41am Tue 4 May 10
I Too wrote:Born and breed swindonians ...... you say that like it is something to be proud ..... you'd be hard pressed to find someone shameless enough to admit it!!!
Most of the "born and bred" Swindonians, that I know of, believe the historic translation, of the towns name to be Pig Hill.
The other philosophies, of someone, unknown, believed to have been called Sven, and some other unknown, callled John Swin, appear to be just mumbo jumbo, brought on by some mis-guided snobbery towards the towns' historic roots.
Everyone knows a cattle market existed in Old Town.
We live in "Pig Hill",Get over it .
Regardless of it's name, it WAS a town famous for great feats of victorian engineering, and social reform.
Time to stop trying to bury its' history, and market its' heritage instead.
politicrat
says...
8:12am Tue 4 May 10
Raef Barnes
says...
10:12am Tue 4 May 10
I suggest that dear old Mary concentrates on more serious issues that have a real negative effect on Old Town, rather than getting her knickers in a twist about some soon to be reopened local's name.
Veggie
says...
10:27am Tue 4 May 10
Charlie Jarrett
says...
2:05pm Tue 4 May 10
The-Swindon-Man
says...
7:44pm Tue 4 May 10
It's a good name and I really hope it works - good luck guys and I'm sure most people will pop in for a meal and a few beers
itsamess
says...
7:46am Wed 5 May 10
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Casual Observer says...
9:12am Mon 3 May 10