English Place-name Society

Survey of English Place-Names

A county-by-county guide to the linguistic origins of England’s place-names – a project of the English Place-Name Society, founded 1923.

Lertwell

Early-attested site in the Parish of Ashbury

Historical Forms

  • Lottewelle 1235–52 GlastonRent
  • Lortwell, Lortewyll 1519 Ashmole

Etymology

Lertwell, Lottewelle 1235–52 GlastonRent, Lortwell , Lortewyll 1519 Ashmole. Cf. lortanbroke , lortanberwe 947 (14th) BCS 828, near the stream which rises at Lertwell, v. Pt 3. Searle infers a pers.n. Lorta from lortan hlæw in the bounds of BCS 705 (in Enford W), and the Berks names could be explained as 'Lorta's spring' (v. w(i)ella), 'brook' (v. brōc ) and 'barrow' (v. beorg ). Alternatively, the first el. might be lort(e) 'dirt, mud, swamp', or a stream-name from it, cf. Lortemere Lane in Reading, Pt 1172.