Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Beastewelle 1086 DB

• Bestewelle, Estwelle 1280 Ass

• Bestwell 1284 Cl

• Bustewalle 1293 Ipm

• Biestewalle 1293 Ipm

• Byestewall(e) juxta Warham 1310 FF 1316 FA 1399 Cl

• Brestewalle (for Biestewalle) juxta Warham 1315 FF

• Biestewalles 1412 FA

• Beestewalle by Wareham 1440 Cl

• Byestwall 1412 FF

• Byestwall iuxta Wareham p1483 Sheen

• 'the mansion-house of the farm of Beestwall' 1627 Hutch3

• Beestwall 1431 FA

• Biestwall 1495 Ipm

• Byeastwall 1613 Hutch1

• Lower Byeastwall 1690 Hutch3

• Biwestwalles (sic) 1412 FA

• ecclesia de Byestawell p1483 Sheen

• Bestwall 1547,1552 DCMDeed

• Bestwall Farme c.1628 Strode

• North Bestwall, South Bestwall, Lower Bestwall (or Twynham) 1774 Hutch1

• Bestwall or Twyneham 1795 Boswell

• Bestall Farms 1826 Gre

• Upper or Bond's Bestwall 1861 Hutch3

Etymology

'(Place) to the east of the wall', v. bī , ēastan , wall, describing its situation just outside the east walls of Wareham, cf. East Walls, Town Walls supra . Twyn (e )ham would mean '(place) between the rivers (Piddle or Trent, and Frome)', v. betwēonan , ēa (dat. pl. ēam ), cf. Twineham Sx 279, Twinham Ha (DEPN), but it is possible that Twyn (e )ham is an error for Swyn (e )ham , v. Swineham infra . Upper or Bond 's Bestwall is another name for South Bestwall, cf. Denis Bond 1653 Hutch3.