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.

Winchcomb

Major Settlement in the Parish of Winchcomb

Historical Forms

  • æt Wincelcumbe, on Wincelcumbe 796–819 BCS364 orig. BM c.815 ASChart 1014–16,1042(11th) ASC 1053 11
  • æcclesia Wincelcumbæ, Wincelcumbam 811 BCS337–8 11th
  • on Uuincelcumbe 897 11th ib
  • Wincelcumb 942 BCS771
  • Vallis Winclea 10 StSwith
  • on Winc(e)lescumbe 11 Saints
  • to Wincescumbe 963 BCS1105 11th
  • (Bvrgvm de) Wincelcvmbe, Wicelcvmbe, Wicelcumbe, Wicecombe 1086 DB
  • Wincelcumba, Wyncelcumba 1105 Tewk95 1138 WinchAn
  • Winchelcumb(e), Winchelcomb(a) 12 Tewk87 1130 P 1156,1159,1161 RBE 1175 WinchLB 1177 BM 1185 Templar 14 WinchLB 1535 VE c.1560 Surv 1584,1586 Comm
  • Whinchelcombe 1652 PR
  • Winchecumb(e), Wynchecumb(e), Wynchecomb(e) 1059 WinchAn 1100–12 Glouc 1138 Theok 1154–89 Glouc 1155 P 1156–1212 RBE 1175–1402 WinchLB 1175 Tewk81 1217 ClR 1221 Ass 1509 Pat
  • Wynchecumbe 1390 Ch
  • Wynchecwom 1543 GlR
  • Wichecũba 1162,1165 P
  • Winchcumb, Wynchcumb, Wynchcomb(e) 1234 Cl 1316 FA 1586 Comm
  • Wynchincumb 1285 FA
  • Wyngecombe c.1560 Surv

Etymology

'Valley with a bend in it', v. wincel , cumb and cf. Winchcombe K, Wincelcumbe 825 BCS 384 (cf. KPN 149). The main valley of the Isbourne runs south directly up towards Charlton Abbots, but a side-valley runs off to the south-west to Postlip, and Winchcomb stands at the bottom of the latter. Winchcomb was an important centre in Anglo-Saxon times, and was the centre of a shire (v. Winchcomb Hundred 1, 2supra ).