Stanesgate Abbey (Fm)
Early-attested site in the Parish of Steeple
Historical Forms
- Stanesgata 1086 DB 1163–70 AC
- Stanesgate 1254 FF 1399 IpmR
- Stanisgat' 1194 CurR
- Stan(e)gate 1295 Pat 1337 Cl
- Stayngat(e) 1337 1341 Cl
- Stansgate 1768 M
Etymology
The persistent medial s in the earliest forms points to a personal name Stān , which does not occur independently in OE , but is the first theme in Stānflǣd , Stānheard , Stānwine , etc. It is found in Stansfield (PN WRY 180, PN Sf 29 and possibly also PN La 58) and Stanswood in Fawley (Ha), Staneude DB, Staneswode 1296 Pat. The second element is probably OE geat , 'gate,' or, rather, the plural gatu . The place is on a small peninsula, almost surrounded by water and connected with the rest of the parish by a narrow strip of land between the marshes. The absence of other Scandinavian names in this district is against a derivation from ON gata , 'road, gate,' which is found in Stangate Hill (PN BedsHu 249), where the reference is to Ermine Street.