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.

Higher Wych & Lower Wych

Early-attested site in the Parish of Malpas

Historical Forms

  • Fulewic 1096–1101(1150),1150 Chest
  • Fullewich 1096–1101 1280 ib
  • Fulwich 1295 Ipm
  • Fulwich(e), Fulwicus, Fulwych(e), Fulwicke, Fo(u)lwich, Foulewich, Fowlewich, Foyllewich 1626 Orm2
  • Le Fulwich 1295 Ipm
  • Fulwich Superior & Fulwich Inferior 1299 Plea
  • Nether(e)folwich & Over(e)folwich, Nether(e)folwych & Over(e)folwych 1328 Pat 1329 Plea
  • Les Fulwiche 1409 Orm2
  • Foulewiche in com. Flynt 1473–4 Morris
  • Foulewiche alias Dritwyche 1482 Chol
  • W(h)ichehagh' alias Fulwiche 1508 ChRR 1515 MinAcct
  • Upper Wych 1208–29 AD
  • le Overe Wych c.1305 Chol
  • le Ouerwiche 1388 Tab
  • Layerwyche 1526 Plea
  • (the) Overw(h)iche, (the) Loourw(h)iche, (the) Layherw(h)iche, (the) Lagherw(h)iche, (the) Overwich(e), (the) Loourwich(e), (the) Layherwich(e), (the) Lagherwich(e) 1528 ib
  • Lougherwyche 1530 Sheaf
  • Nederwiche 1535 Orm2
  • Netherwiche 1559 ChRR
  • Upper Wych Salt Works & Lower Wych Salt Works 1831 Bry
  • Wyz Maupas 1257 Pat
  • the wiches hard by le Malpas 1357 BPR
  • villa de Wyche 1472 Chol
  • the Wychhouse 1555 Sheaf
  • the Wiche 1882 Orm2ii664
  • Dritwyche, Foulewiche alias Dritwyche 1482 Chol
  • Dirtwich 1485 ChRR
  • Dyrt(e)wich 1529 Plea c.1536 Leland
  • Dirtewich 1555 Sheaf
  • Durtwich 1599 AD
  • Dertwich c.1536 Leland
  • Drit(e)wich 1486 MinAcct
  • Drytwich 1537 ChRR
  • Dretwich 1486 MinAcct
  • Draytewich 1530 Sheaf
  • Droyt(e)wich 1530 Chol 1555 Sheaf
  • Droitwich 1551 Pat 1668 Chol
  • Upper Dirtwich & Lower Dirtwich 1882 Orm2
  • Foulewich alias Dretwiche 1486 MinAcct
  • Drytwiche alias Fulwyche alias Wichehagh 1537 ChRR
  • Netherdretwyche 1524 Sheaf
  • the Hygher Draytewhiche, the Heygher Draytewhiche, the Lower Draytewhiche, the Logher Draytewhiche, the Hygher Droytewhiche, the Heygher Droytewhiche, the Lower Droytewhiche, the Logher Droytewhiche, the Hygher Draytewyche, the Heygher Draytewyche, the Lower Draytewyche, the Logher Draytewyche, the Hygher Droytewyche, the Heygher Droytewyche, the Lower Droytewyche, the Logher Droytewyche 1530 Chol, Sheaf
  • Overdroytwich(e) 1556 ib
  • Upper Durtwich 1665 Chol
  • Higher Dirtwich & Lower Dirtwich 1842 OS
  • the twoo Drayte Wiches 1530 Sheaf
  • Droywich 1555 ib

Etymology

'The higher and lower factories', 'the dirty works', from wīc and fūl , drit , with uferra , neoðera , higher , upper , lower , superior , inferior , and feld , mǣd , hūs and hall . These were salt-wiches, cf. 'two Wichehouses otherwise named Saltehouses in the townes of Ouerwiche and Lagherwiche in Iscoyde '1528Chol H 80 (cf. Orm2 ii618, 663, DKR xxx143), and 'six saltcottes and six tofts in Drytwiche alias Fulwyche alias Wichehagh '1537 ChRR (DKR xxxix150), v. wych(e)-hous(e), salt-hūs, salt-cote. They were part of the barony of Malpas 39supra , lying in Wigland, Wychough (cf. 53infra ) and Iscoyd Fl, and anciently within, or appurtenant to, the lost DB manor of Burwardestone 1supra . Cf. Droitwich Wo 285.

Places in the same Parish

Other OS name

Early-attested site