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.

Bolesworth Castle & Bolesworth Hill Fm

Early-attested site in the Parish of Malpas

Historical Forms

  • Boylthiswrth 1281 AddCh
  • Bowliswrth' l13 Chol
  • Bowlesworth 1308 ChRR 1565
  • Boulesworth 1306 ChF 1307 Plea
  • Bolesworth 1461 Sheaf
  • Bolesworth Castle 1819 Orm2
  • Bolesworth Hill 1831 Bry
  • Bollesworth 1517,1520 ChEx 1539 Plea 1546 Orm2
  • Bollesworthe 1539 ChRR 1564 Orm2 1583
  • Bolsworth 1668–71 Sheaf
  • Bawlesworth, Bawlesworth hill 1465 Chol
  • Boldisworth 1541 Chol

Etymology

The earliest form probably represents Boythlisworth with metathesis of -thl -. The p.n. would be OE  *Bōðles worð 'curtilage of a house', from bōðl and worð (cf. bōðl-tūn), with castel(l) and hyll .The castle is a well-done eighteenth-century extravagance, v. Orm2 ii678.

Places in the same Parish

Other OS name

Early-attested site