Wittenham Clumps - Toponomy

Toponomy

Strictly speaking, the name Wittenham Clumps, or simply The Clumps, refers to the wooded summits of these hills, which are themselves more properly referred to as the Sinodun Hills, the name Sinodun deriving from Celtic, Seno-Dunum, meaning 'Old Fort'. Alternatively, it has been suggested that the name is a scholarly creation, punning on the Latin 'sinus' (bosom). Other lesser-used and more colloquial names for the Clumps include the Berkshire Bubs (since the Clumps were formerly in the county of Berkshire – the boundary was redrawn in 1974) and Mother Dunch's Buttocks (after a local Lady of the Manor named Dunch). The two main hills are called Castle Hill and, to the west, Round Hill. A path through the wooded area at the top of Round Hill has enabled access since 2005, after being closed for twenty years.