Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Castle Close c.1753 DROMap

• pastur' infra castr' ville de Warham 1393 MinAcct

• Castell close 1548 DCMDeed

• close called Castle Hill 1582 Hutch3 1595,1610 1774 Hutch1

• cast' de Warham 1369 MinAcct

• de Costello 1280 Ch

• de Castro 1319 MinAcct

• Castellum Warham 1086 DB

Etymology

Castle Close (SY 922873), Castle Close c. 1753 DROMap, pastur ' infra castr ' ville de Warham 1393MinAcct , Castell close 1548DCMDeed , close called Castle Hill 1582 Hutch3, 1595, 1610 ib, 1774 Hutch1, the site of the former 12th cent, castle which is referred to as cast ' de Warham 1369MinAcct and which was no doubt the home of Geoffrey de Costello 1280 Ch and William de Castro 1319MinAcct , cf. also Castle Close Lane 1716 DCMDeed, v. castel(l), clos(e), hyll , King's Works 140, 2 852, RCHMDo 2 324–5. Trinity Lane supra follows the line of the castle bailey. Castellum Warham 1086 DB and various 12th cent. references to 'the castle of Wareham' belong under Corfe Castle q. v. in Corfe C. par. supra , cf. King's Works 127, 2852; in castellum quod dicitur Werham 893 (e11) Asser, 12 SD (both s.a. 876), the reference is certainly to Wareham, but ASC s.a. 876 has simply (into ) Werham , and castellum here must refer to the Anglo- Saxon burh (Asser's use of castellum showing that Wareham had been fortified by 893, possibly already by 876).