IT has never ceased to surprise me that the various versions of the earliest name for York, offered by the scholars, have omitted another obvious alternative ("Know your place... by its ancient name," May 7).

While Celtic yew trees, a man named Eborus and wild boars may each have some claim for inclusion among the educated guesses, surely the single most important and impressive natural feature for our Celtic ancestors living in this place that we now call York, was the river.

It was a tidal river which flowed back on itself twice each day, with all the associations with the supernatural and spirit world that this may have had for Celtic minds.

The name of the river, then? Not Ouse but Ure; flowing from ancient Ure - or Yor - dale (now Wensley- dale) past the great abbey of Jurvaux, down through Roman Isurium (Boroughbridge) and so to Roman Eburacum, the earliest name for York in Roman records which later became Eboracum (Celtic Eburack?).

Or is this all just too simple?

Bill Simpson,

St Andrewgate,

York.

Updated: 11:59 Saturday, May 17, 2003