Holland (Wood)
Early-attested site in the Parish of Abbot's and King's Ripton
Historical Forms
- Haulund 1252 Rams c.1350 Ct 1301
- Havelund 1279 RH
- Havelound 1286 For
- Haulond, Hollond 1286 For 1300 Ct
Etymology
The suffix here is ON lundr. It is defined as meaning 'grove, small wood' in EPN. Since that was written Mr Bruce Dickins has called our attention to the important rendering of Lund by Reginald of Durham as nemus paci donatum , which shows that this word in Scandinavianised England must have been used with the same heathen religious associations that it had in Scandinavia itself. The first element may be ON hagi, the whole name being perhaps descriptive of a sacred grove which has been 'hedged' off.