Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• in publico loco qui dicitur at Wdegeate 859 ShaftR(S334)

• in þare stowe þat is inemned at wudegate 870 15 ib

• (to) wideyate 944–6 BCS817(S513) 14

• ?Widamgate 959–975 Finberg(S1772)

• besuðan wudigan gæte c.970 DurhamRitual(SurteesSociety140)

• Odiete 1086 DB

• Widiate 1199 FF

• Wudiete 1199,1213 ib

• Wdiate 1201 Cur

• Wodiat(e) 1208 1213 ib

• Wud(e)iat(e) 1213 1233 Cl

• Wodiet' 1244 Ass

• Wodeyate 1244,1288 1428 FA

• Wodehyate 1244 Ass

• Wodeyet(e) 1268 1428 FA

• Wodyete 1288 Ass

• Wodyate 1409 Cl

• Wdehette, Wudehate 1372 ChrP

• Wudegat(e) 1199 Cur 1244 Ass

• Wudegeith' 1372 ChrP

• Wodegat(e) 1199 Cur 1242 Ch 1325 Pat

• Wdegete 1372 ChrP

• Wudigat' 1244 Ass

• Wudesate 1251 FF

• Wodezete 1291 Tax

• Wodezate 1340 NI

• Wodeyats 1535 VE

• Woodyates 1618 Map

• East-Woodyates, West-Woodyates 1774 Hutch1

Etymology

'(At) the gate or gap in the wood', from wudu, widu and geat , the first el. apparently alternating with wudig 'wooded' in the form from Durham Ritual and perhaps in Wudigat ' 1244.There is mention of a wood here in 1251 FF. The gate or gap may have been at Bokerly Junction, where Bokerly Ditch, a late RB earthwork built across the Badbury Rings-Old Sarum Roman road, was later breached by the road from Blandford F. to Salisbury. Ekwall DEPN makes an alternative suggestion for the first el., the OE  pers.n. Widia , Wudga , Wudia found in Withington Gl 1186, but the topographical terms seem more likely in this name. The late appearance of -s in Woodyates is noteworthy; it would seem to have originally represented a pl. form, 'the (two) places called Woodyate '.