Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• le Hurtwood 1713 Ct

• Chertwood 1823 Br

Etymology

Hurt Wood is le Hurtwood (1713Ct ). Mr Bonner suggests that this may be identical with the Churt or Chart wood mentioned s. n. West Chart supra 249. In the Bray MSS (ex inf. Miss Parkes) we have reference to “the common wood called Churtwood” from a Court Roll of 1618, and the same common is called Chertwood in 1823 (Br). West Chart is at the end of Hurt Wood, and it seems very likely, therefore, that Hurtwood and Chertwood refer to the same piece of woodland. It may well be that the name was deliberately altered in the 18th century because of the abundance of hurts or whortleberries found here. It should be added that the forms Chert - and Churt -, side by side with Chart -, suggest common hesitation between different dialectal developments.