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.

Elwick and Elwick Hall

Parish in the County of Durham

Etymology

Surtees III85 gives “The Parish of Elwick or Elwick-hall” with footnote, “Very commonly called West Parish , from its situation in respect to the village of Elwick. There is no village (for that of Elwick is in the Parish of Hart)”; and before him Hutchinson wrote, “in this parish there is neither town nor village, cottage house for the poor, surgeon or apothecary, midwife, blacksmith, joiner, house-carpenter, mason, bricklayer, cart or wheelwright, weaver, butcher, shoemaker, taylor or barber, school-master or school-mistress, alehouse, public bakehouse, grocer or chandler's shop, or a cornmill” (W. Hutchinson, The History and Antiquities of the County Palatine of Durham , Newcastle 1785–94, III 46). VCH III 236 adds, “known as the West parish to distinguish it from Elwick in Hart parish which is called Elwick Eastwards. The only hall in the parish is the rectory and it is unknown how the name of Elwick Hall came to be attached to the whole parish.”

Major Settlements