General   (General discussion, talk about anything.)

I'll try to add a little bit to this thread.

Tonker was correct when he mentioned that the word "bryn" could have been brought from Wales. It is a welsh word, that means "hill." Having said that, it could be more likely that its from old norse. In that language, it means "brow" as in the brow of a hill. There is evidence of vikings in the area in the form of other place names. Billinge for example.

Regarding Ashton mill fields. Some of the older Downall Greeners could answer this better than I can, but, there used to be a mill there near the Green. It was demolished in the early 1900's. Remains of it can still be seen. The fields behind it (on the Bryn side of Low Bank Road) were always known as the "Mill Fields." As a kid, I remember wheat being grown on them. Not by the miller, of course, but by farmers. The field that was in the "triangle" created by Low Bank Road, the railway and the Wentworth Road estate was also used for crops and also known as Mill fields. This stopped though when the M6 was built, as the area was used for dumping excavated material. I've not lived in the area for a good number of years now, so dont have a clue if its been used for growing anything since that time. Perhaps one of the DG-ers on here would know?