Haslington During the First English Civil War, on 27 December 1642,(?) there was a skirmish between the Royalists and the Parliamentarians that took place on the southern outskirts of the village at a place called Slaughter Hill. The, Parliamentarians—also known as the Roundheads—won the battle. Local legend says the battle caused the brook nearby to turn red from the blood spilt. A sword was found embedded in the bank of Valley Brook. Although the macabre name Slaughter Hill suggests it may be named after this skirmish, it may be a corruption of "Sloe Tree Hill". Blackthorn ("Prunus spinosa"), the fruit of
Prunus africana buttock", because the two lobes of the fruit resemble the human gluteus maximus muscles. In 1965, Cornelis Kalkman moved "Pygeum" to "Prunus", and this classification has the authority for now. However, a recent cladistic study notes of "Pygeum": "its relationships to "Prunus" remain to be tested by molecular cladistics." "Prunus africana" is known by the common names African cherry, pygeum (from its former scientific name, "Pygeum africanum"), iron wood, red stinkwood, African plum, African prune, and bitter almond. In other languages spoken where it grows, it is known as "tikur inchet" in Amharic, "mkonde-konde" in Chagga, "muiri" in Kikuyu, "entasesa"