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.

Alboro Close Drove

Early-attested site in the Parish of Cottenham

Historical Forms

  • le Arburgh 1483 Christ's

Etymology

Alboro Close Drove (6″). Cf. Aldebur 1202 FF, Audeburg '1228FF , Aldeburgh (feld )1323 Crowland, Aldeborowefeld t. Ed 3Christ 's , Aldeburghaye c. 1350Cole xliv, (le ) Alburgh 1492, 1527Christ 's , Alborough 1596 ib., Awbrose (Fen )1604Atkyns , Alboro Close c. 1840TA . 'The old fort,' v. eald , burh . Roman and other remains have been found in the neighbourhood. Not far away, on Bullocks Haste Common, earthworks are marked on the O.S. map. These Fox (223) describes as an elaborate system of shallow ditches, probably irrigation works of Roman date. Either these were mistaken for earthworks, one of which is referred to in le Arburgh 1483Christ 's (cf. Arbury supra 148), or there was once a fort here of which all visible trace has been lost.