Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Old Quay 1831 Bry

• Denwale Rode, Neston Rode c.1536 Leland

• the Key House 1711,1750 Sheaf

Etymology

Old Quay (109–286767), Old Quay 1831 Bry, cf. Old Key Meadow , Old Quay Croft & Old Quay Garden 1845TA , the site of a newe haven at Lightfotes Poole 1547 Morris 460, a new key in Wirrall upon the River Dee 1551 ib, the new haven , the newe haven , the new haven of Chester water , the newe haven of Chester water 1567, 1576, 1588 ib, the New Key 1569 (1656) Orm2, 1572 Sheaf, 1608 Morris, 1656 Orm2, New Key , New Key in Worrall 1586 Morris 87, c.1590 Sheaf, New Kay 1690 Sheaf, which was superseded by the quay at Parkgate 223supra , as R. Dee silted up, v. ald , nīwe , key . The silting of the Dee estuary made navigation to Chester itself so difficult by 1574 that it was necessary to provide port facilities at the roads off Denhall and Neston (Denwale Rode , Neston Rode c.1536 Leland) cf. Hem II303, Morris 460. At Old Quay was the Key House 1711, 1750 Sheaf, v. key , hūs . Lightfotes Poole would be a creek or channel in the estuary, v. pōl 1 , named after some person with the surname Lightfoot , as in Lightfoots Green 222supra in Ness, the adjacent township.