English Place-name Society

Survey of English Place-Names

A county-by-county guide to the linguistic origins of England’s place-names – a project of the English Place-Name Society, founded 1923.

Hell Stone

Other OS name in the Parish of Portisham

Etymology

, 1811 OS , 1774 Hutch1 , a Neolithic chambered long barrow ( RCHM 2421, 432 ) , v. hell , cf. the f. ns . Helle and Helle doghter in Abbotsbury par . supra , and another Hell Stone in Long Bredy par . infra ; according to Hutch 1 1 554 ' the common people call it Hell Stone , and have a tradition , that the devil flung it from Portland Pike , a N . point of that island full in view , as he was diverting himself at quoits ' ( cf. the similar tradition recorded by Hutch 1 for Agglestone in Studland par . 1 46 ) .