28 NOVEMBER 1952, Page 20

Snt,—Sir Henry Bashford has written a delightful tribute to Dorset

place-names. But as we are thinking of poetic quality, may I point

out that Fontwell Magna is really Fontmell Magna—I am sure Sir Henry will agree that the "supreme poet" showed a surer touch than your printer. There is as a matter of fact not a single Fontwell Magna anywhere in England. Is there, by the way, any other country with such a genius for whole families of names—Tarrant Gunville, Tarrant Rushton, Tarrant Hinton, Tarrant Monkton, Tarrant Launceston, Tarrant Rawston, Tarrant Keynston and Tarrant Crawford, for