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1. we have rag trees,often thorn bushes, at a number of ecclesiastical sites 2. rag trees may occur beside holy wells, which may or may not be close to/part of ecclesiastical sites, this seems to give a pagan flavour to the practice 3. particular thorn bushes around the countryside are known as 'fairy thorns' [ an alternative, in the past, was to describe them as 'gentle' which i think is the same idea as calling fairies 'gentle folk' because it was unlucky to name them] with bad luck following if they are disturbed or injured, but i have no recall of a rag thorn ever being a fairy thorn..... [ i have all sorts of planning and thorn stories, which i will spare you] 4. we have one or two sites with trees with coins pushed into them a natural feature or object which is man-modified is an example of human activity which merits record and explanation surely its a site/monument - we give them a number Annie Given NI Sites and Monuments Record Environment & Heritage Service: Built Heritage tel: 028 9054 3013 fax: 028 9054 3111 e-mail: [log in to unmask] web: www.ehsni.gov.uk -----Original Message----- From: South Yorks. Archaeology Service [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: 04 October 2000 11:01 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Clutie/Cloutie/Clootie Trees >Yes, we have cloutie trees (more usually known as Cloutie Wells or Rag Wells >here) - and I would be interested to hear of examples from other parts of >the British Isles. Cloutie is Scots for a cloth - perhaps the word is more >widely used than I realised if it turns up in Bedfordshire! Yes, clout/cloot is a Scottish word still in common use in one context at least. Clootie dumpling - a large dumpling made in a cloth and boiled is a fine delicacy. My granny made the best ever, of course. And anyway, to paraphrase Goodness gracious me, "Bedfordshire - Its Scottish!" Jim McNeil, South Yorkshire Archaeology Service %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%