Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Hellgates, Helegate 1595 FSurv

• hell gaits lane 1657 LMR

• Hell Gate Lane 1712 Foster 1828 Bry

• le gret hell 1505 LMR

• gret Hell 1553 Anc

• le great Hell 1567,1581 ib

• great Hell 1595 FSurv 1659 Holywell

• Great hell c.1638 ib

• Great Hell 1712 Foster

• Great Ell 1839 TA

• the North great hell 1663 Holywell

• lyttell Hell 1510 LMR

• Little Hell 1564 Anc 1595 FMap 1595 FSurv

• little Hell 1616 LMR 1803 Hill

• litle hell 1626 LMR

• litle hells 1627 Dudding

• Little-ell 1847 Padley

• Little Ell 1848 EnclA

• Inhell pitt (sic) 1595 FSurv

• Inhel pitte (sic) 1595 FMap

• Inhellpit Close c.1638 Holywell

• Hell Pits 1712 Foster

• Ell Pit 1839 TA 1841 MC 1847 Padley

• norton Hell 1564 Anc

• Norton helles 1563 ib

• le Norton Helles 1567 ib

• Norton Hells 1572 1581 ib

• Nortonhell 1595 FMap

• Norton hells 1595 FSurv

• Norton Hells c.1638 Holywell 1803 Hill

• Norton hills 1637 LMR 1803 Hill

• Norton Hill 1821 AH

• Norton Ell 1839 TA 1847 Padley

Etymology

ELLGATE LANE, Hellgates , Helegate 1595FSurv , hell gaits lane 1657LMR , Hell Gate Lane 1712Foster , 1828 Bry, called simply Bridle Rd today. It is the continuation of a road in Fulstow on which Heelgate Fm is situated and north of which is a field Helgates shown on FMap . However, north from Ellgate Lane as far as New Dike, which forms the boundary with North Coates, are four fields called Hell . These are le gret hell 1505LMR , gret Hell 1553Anc , le great Hell 1567, 1581ib , great Hell 1595FSurv , 1659Holywell , Great hell c.1638ib , Great Hell 1712Foster , Great Ell 1839TA , the North great hell 1663Holywell ; lyttell Hell 1510LMR , Little Hell 1564Anc , 1595FMap , 1595FSurv , little Hell 1616LMR , 1803Hill , litle hell 1626LMR , litle hells 1627Dudding , Little-ell 1847Padley , Little Ell 1848EnclA ; Inhell pitt (sic)1595FSurv , Inhel pitte (sic)1595FMap , Inhellpit Close c.1638Holywell , Hell Pits 1712Foster , Ell Pit 1839TA , 1841MC , 1847Padley ; norton Hell 1564Anc , Norton helles 1563ib , le Norton Helles 1567ib , Norton Hells 1572ib , 1581ib , Nortonhell 1595FMap , Norton hells 1595FSurv , Norton Hells c.1638Holywell , 1803Hill , Norton hills 1637LMR , 1803Hill , Norton Hill 1821AH , Norton Ell 1839TA , 1847Padley (presumably from the surn. Norton , though none has been noted in the sources searched). Under Heelgate Fm in Fulstow supra it is suggested that the first el. is the surn. Hell , recorded several times in Fulstow documents. It would appear that Heelgate and Ellgate are modern forms of the same name. The occurrence of f.ns. called Hell , north of Ellgate, however, suggest that association with a surn. can hardly be correct. OE  hell 'hell' seems to occur occasionally in p.ns. “as a term of contempt”, while Field, s.n. Hell Carr, accepts that hell may have a derogatory reference in some f.ns. There can be no connexion with an L-shaped field here, which is possible in some names, nor can hell be a form of OE  hyll in north L. We are left, therefore, with the possibility that the first el. of Ellgate Lane and Heelgate Fm is indeed hell , though it should be noted that today there is nothing in the topography of these fields to support a derogatory meaning.