Place Name
Contrary to what the name suggests this was usually used as a joke name for a foul place, usually a local tip. But given its proximity to former dying works, another explanation may be found – the smell of urine. From medieval times dyers used urine, which they boiled, to help the process of making dyes stick to wool. The Dyer’s Assistant in the Art of Dying Wool and Woollen Goods by James Haigh printed in 1800 makes it clear what to expect during the five hour process: “During the whole time of this process, a strong volatile smell of urine is emitted.”
