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.

Halmpstone

Early-attested site in the Parish of Bishop's Tawton

Historical Forms

  • Halgmerston 1285 FA
  • Halghemerstone 1317 Exon
  • Halmerston 1330 SR
  • Halmeston 1394 Ass

Etymology

The early spellings suggest a compound of OE  halig, (ge)mære or mere and stan , the meaning being either 'holy boundary-stone' or 'stone by the holy pool.' The former derivation is the more likely since there is no pool here now and the place is only 600 yards away from the parish boundary.