Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Dodestan(e) 1155 RBE 1164,1165 P

• Dodeston(e) 1260–5 GlChi,25 1276 RH

• Doddeston' 1320 Ass

• Dudestan(e) 1155 P 1156 RBE c.1225,1477 GlR

• Dudeston(e) c.1210 c.1230 GlChi,15 1389 Works

• Duddestan(e) c.1240 GlChi,23 1265 Misc

• Duddeston 1340 1535 VE 1542 MinAcct

• Dudston 1455 Cole

Etymology

'Dud(d)a's stone' from the OE  pers.n. Dud (d )a , as in Dudbridge and Dudley (177, 259infra ), and stān; the stone doubtless marked the site of the hundred meeting-place (cf. 114supra ). Where this place was has been in question; there is a Dudstone in Hempsted (167infra ) 1½ miles south-west of Gloucester and Anderson 13 favours it, but this is probably a late house-name adopted by a former antiquarian owner. Dudstone was the site of St Mary Magdalene's Hospital (cf. 135supra ), and references in 1455 Cole make it quite certain that the place was on the north side of the city, 'outside the outer gate on the left side towards Dudston ' (Cole, 88, 98) and approached by Feet Lane (ib 100); this latter street started between the two north gates and was in the neighbourhood of Worcester St.A mile and a half north of this, a house in Longford village on the Roman road to Worcester is called Dunstone, but it may not be old.