BERIE, Berry, signifies a large open field; and those cities and towns in England which end with that word are built on plain and open places, and do not derive their names from boroughs, as Sir Henry Spelman imagines. Most of our glostographers in the names of places have confounded the word berie with that of bury and borough, as if the appellative of ancient towns; whereas the true sense of the word berie is a flat wide campaign, as is proved from sufficient authorities by the learned Du Feine, who observes that Beria Sancti Edmundi, mentioned by Mat. Parif. sub. ann. 1174, is not to be taken for the town, but for the adjoining plain. To this may be added, that many flat and wide meads, and other open grounds, are called by the name of beries and beryfields: the spacious meadow between Oxford and Iflay was in the reign of king Athelstan called Bery; as is now the largest pasture ground in Quarendon in the county of Buckingham, known by the name of Beryfield. And though these meads have been interpreted demesne or manor meadows, yet they were truly any flat or open meadows that lay adjoining to any villa or farm.