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 mira Prunus mira Prunus mira, the smooth stone peach, smooth-pit peach or Tibetan peach, and locally called Behmi, Behimi or Tirul, is a species of "Prunus" native to the foothills of the Himalayas and the Tibetan plateau, at elevations typically between 2600 and 3000m, but ranging from 2000 to 4000m. "Prunus mira" grows to 3–10m tall and the trunks 16cm in diameter (DBH). The leaves are lanceolate, 5–10cm long and 1.2–4cm wide. The flowers are pinkish white. The 2-by-3cm ovoid fruit has white flesh. As the common name suggests, the stone is smooth. The trees are cultivated in some parts of