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.

Crickley, Crickley Hill

Early-attested site in the Parish of Badgeworth

Historical Forms

  • Crekle 1237 FF
  • Crekelege c.1240 Ch 1307
  • Crecley 1327 SR
  • Crykkeley c.1300,1407,1529 GlR
  • Crikeley 1391 Ipm
  • Crykleyesbroke 1465 GlR
  • Crickley 1610 Rec 1647 FF

Etymology

'Clearing near Crik -hill', v. hyll , lēah . In view of the fact that the place is just below the top of a lofty Cotswold spur on which there are remains of ancient earthworks, the first el. is doubtless an old Celtic hill-name from Brit  *crouco - 'hill, mound' (v. crūc 1 ), as in Churchdown (119infra ).