Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• (innan) Hydene, (on) Hyddene 984 KCD1282 c.1240

• (innan) Hyddene, (on) Hyddene 1050 c.1240 ib

• Hudden' c.1170 Frid c.1425 Pat 1345

• Huddon 1517 DInc

• Manor of Hidden, Little Hidden 1549 ArchJ

• Great Hidden 1738 ib

• Great Hiddon 1749 ib

Etymology

Hidden, (innan ) Hydene , (on ) Hyddene 984 (c. 1240) KCD 1282, (innan ) Hyddene , (on ) Hyddene 1050 (c. 1240) ib 792, Hudden 'c. 1170 (c. 1425) Fridet passim with variant spelling Hudden to 1345 Pat, Huddon 1517 D Inc, Manor of Hidden , Little Hidden 1549 ArchJ 5, Great Hidden 1738 ib 20, Great Hiddon 1749 ib 16, 'valley with a landing-place', v. hȳð , denu . The reference is to a landing-place on the R. Kennet. The charter-bounds of Leverton (v. Pt 3) show that this is the name of the long valley which runs from the county boundary, 4 miles N.W. of Hungerford, to the Kennet at Kintbury.It is named on O.S. maps as Wiltshire Bottom, Old Hayward Bottom, New Hayward Bottom and Radley Bottom.