Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Clouerwalle c.1282 For

• Clourewall 1435 Pat

• Clourewell 1486 Ipm

• Clorewall' 1385 Ass 1444 Cl

• Glorewallestrete 1385 Ass

• Clowerwall 1515–29 ECP 1603 GlR 1692 Comm

• Clowrewall 1546 LP 1575 FF

• Clewerwall 1618 SPDom

Etymology

The first el. could be OE  clāfre (ME  clovre ) 'clover' with a loss of medial -f - in the spelling Clore - which occurs in other p.ns. like Clarborough (Nt 27) or in the spellings of Claverdon (Wa 206), or with vocalisation of preconsonantal -f - to -w - in the Clowre - spellings (cf. Phonol. § 34b ), but the form clover from which these variants could arise is rare in ME (cf. NED s.v.). MED (s.v. clover ), however, cites several examples with spellings like clouere , clowere , cleure , etc., which would account for the later forms of the p.n.; it seems to occur also in Clower (248infra ), but its origin is obscure. The second el. is from OE  wælla , the Merc form of wella 'well, spring'. 'Spring in the clover.' For the modern form, cf. Phonol. § 8. Rudder 567 identified this place with Willington (infra ).