Walter Hall
Early-attested site in the Parish of Boreham
Historical Forms
- Walhfare 1062 KCD813 12th
- Walcfarā 1086 DB
- Walcfare t.Hy1 Waltham
- Walk(e)far(e) 1346,1406 Ct 1382 IpmR 1512 LP
- Walk(e)fares 1346 1398 IpmR
- Walk(e)fer 1412 FA
- Walfarā 1086 DB
- Walfare t.Hy1 Waltham
- Wacafare t.Hy1 Waltham
- Wak(ke)far(e) 1276 For 1355 Ct
- Walkeford(e) Hall 1519,1522 LP 1536 MinAcct
Etymology
This place has not hitherto been identified. A possession of Waltham Abbey, it was included in the lordship of New Hall or Beaulieu, which contained the manors of Boreham, Walkfares and Old Hall. Culverts was a manor dependent on New Hall and was usually granted with Walkfares, which is said to have been also in Little Waltham, being sometimes called Powers and Walkfares . Power's Fm is about a mile north-west of Walter Hall. It is clear therefore that Walhfare was the name of a considerable district on both sides of the Roman road and on both sides of the stream that crosses it near Mill Dam. The second element in the name is OE fær , 'passage,' used here, as in Laver supra 61–2, of a ford. Zachrisson (Romans , Kelts etc. 69–70) takes the first element to be OE wealh , 'foreign,' and interprets the name as 'the Roman' or 'British road' from wealh -fær , and cites OE fær -weg , 'road,' as in to ferwege (BCS 299) and endlang þe fer (BCS 800), a late ME charter. The road is referred to in the charter as stræt and therefore the fær should probably be taken as referring to the ford, not to the road. The meaning may well be 'passage used by Britons,' cf. Walters al. Walkers (Moreton)1542Waller , to wealh geate (BCS 1282).