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.

Whatcombe Down

Early-attested site in the Parish of Kingston Russell

Historical Forms

  • Whatecome 1340 Cl

Etymology

Whatcombe Down (SY 580898), Whatecome 1340 Cl, feld called Watcombe lying upon the hill 1587, Watcomb (e )1604Russ , cf. Whatcombe Eweleaze 1838TA . Either 'wet valley', v. wǣt , cumb (in which case cf. Pitcombe supra ), or 'valley where wheat is grown', v. hwǣte , cf. Whatcombe in Winterborne W. par. 2 84.