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.

Sledmere

Major Settlement in the Parish of Sledmere

Historical Forms

  • Slidemare 1086 DB
  • Ledemare 1086 DB 1197 P
  • Ledemer(e) late12th,13th Malton 1231 Ass 1245 FF 1253 Pat 1296 YI
  • Sledmer(e) 12th Malton 1216–56 Kirkham 1828 Langd
  • Sledmer(e) on the Woulde 1619 FF
  • Scledmer 1159–81,1187–91 Kirkham
  • Sledmar 1367 1498 Test
  • Sledemer(e) 1157–70 Malton 1166 P 1241 FF 1355 FF
  • Sleddemer(e) 1219 Ass 1223 FF 1297 LS 1316 NomVill
  • Leddemere 1227 FF 1247 Ch
  • Ledmer(e) 1279–81 QW 1336 Ch

Etymology

'Pool in the valley,' v. slæd , mere (influenced by OScand  marr , cf. Marton supra 49). The village is in a very wide valley with gently sloping sides. There are several pools about, and one on the hillside near the church is probably the slæd -mere .This name and some others in the north (as Sleddale, PN NRY 149, 267) point to an Old Northumbrian by-form sled . The early spellings in Led (e )- exhibit a loss of initial s which occurs in Anglo-Norman (v. IPN 103). OE  sledda (pers. name) is also possible.

Places in the same Parish

Early-attested site