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.

Weeding Well

Early-attested site in the Parish of Tideswell

Historical Forms

  • Wythynewelle Ed1 AddCh 15th Middleton
  • Wythen Wall 1609 Portland
  • Wedingwell 1610 Speed
  • Great Wythenwall 1617 ShefLD

Etymology

Weeding Well (lost), Wythynewelle Ed 1AddCh , 15thMiddleton , Wythen Wall 1609Portland , Wedingwell 1610 Speed, Great Wythenwall 1617ShefLD . 'Spring by which withies grew', v. wīðign , wælla . It is one of Cotton's wonders of the Peak and is there called Weeding -Wall or Tydes -Well (1681). The traditional explanation of Tideswell as 'the tidal well' is no doubt much earlier than Cotton.Cf. also Withing Wall Head 1850TA (in Great Hucklow).