East Holywell, ford on the Salters Road and hollow way

A lease of 1320 refers to 'Salterford', a ford on the Salters road. Evidence for salt production in this area is also recorded in court rolls of 1561 and 1588 and a survey of 1573 - Saltersford/Salterfoode, Saltman pythe, Salter's peth. The Salters ford was found where Hartley Lane now crosses the Brierdene Burn to the south of the Beehive public house. The salt pans lay near the mouth of Holywell Dene. The "hie wai" or common street linking Hartley and Backworth, already ancient in the late 16th century, appears also to have been synonymous with the "Saltman pythe" (peth) which led to the ford ("Fysher foorde"). A short length of hollow way on the south-east side of the bridge may be all that remains to mark its course.