Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Chaldewell(e) 1109 Dugd 1280,1288 Ass 1316 FA 1398 Cecil 1412 FA

• Chaldewoll' 1283 Cecil

• Cheldewell(e) 1205 Cur 1270 Hutch3

• Chalwell 1619 CH

• Bell' 1207 Cur

• Belle 1223 1276 Hutch3 1288 Ass 1291 Tax 1602 AddCh

• parochia de Bell 1584 Hen2

• 'Belle and Chaldwell' 1286 Ch

• Belle et Chaldewell' 1288 Ass

• Belchalwell 1575 Saxton

• Bell Chalwell 1641 Salkeld

• Bell Challwell Fifehead 1664 HTax

Etymology

Originally two separate names. Chalwell is 'cold spring or stream', from ceald and well(a) (spring and stream marked 6″ nearby). Bell is from belle 'a bell' here used in a transferred sense 'bell-shaped hill' with reference to Bell Hill, a steep hill-ridge (845′) just SE of Belchalwell. In the 1664 form, Fifehead refers to Lower Fifehead or Fifehead St Quintin (2 95), formerly in Belchalwell when the latter was a distinct par. in Cranborne hundred (2 194). References to a church here (the present one is undedicated) have been found from 1342 Cl.