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.

Sewardstone Street olim Ellford Street

Early-attested site in the Parish of Waltham Holy Cross

Historical Forms

  • Eldewirche 1154–89 RHSvi
  • Eldeworth estrate, Eldeworth lane, Eldeworth feld 1326,1376,1391,1392 WalthamD
  • Eld(e)forde-feld, Eld(e)forde-strate, Eld(e)fordes Streate 1341,1342 WalthamD 1548 Pat
  • Ilfordfeld 1473 WalthamD
  • Elderstrete, Ellford Strete 1547 ib
  • Oldefordstrate 1394 ib
  • Schepecotestret 1333 WalthamD
  • Shepcot Strete 1545 FF
  • Shepcot-lane 1473 WalthamD

Etymology

'Street and open-country by the old enclosure,' v. eald , worþ , feld , stræt . For ford cf. Sherwoods infra 207. An alternative name seems to have been Schepecotestret 1333 WalthamD, Shepcot Strete 1545FF . Ilfordfeld was in Shepcot-lane (1473 WalthamD).