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 hortulana drupes with white dots, reportedly sweet and pleasant-tasting. The species grows in upland forests and near streams. There are several domesticated cultivars and hybrids with other "Prunus". Prunus hortulana Prunus hortulana, called the hortulan plum and wild goose plum, is a fruit shrub in the rose family found in the central United States in: Arkansas, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia. Populations east of the Appalachians probably represent naturalizations. "Prunus hortulana" is a deciduous tree with a trunk diameter of up to and an overall height of or more. Leaves