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.

Oldfleet Drain

Early-attested site in the Parish of Stallingborough

Historical Forms

  • holflet Hy2 NCot e13
  • Holflet' 13 Selby 13–14
  • portu de Holeflet 1276 RH
  • Wenflet 1086 DB

Etymology

OLDFLEET DRAIN, holflet Hy2 (e13) NCot , Holflet '13 (13–14) Selby, portu de Holeflet 1276 RH, cf. Holfletwra Hy3 (13–14) Selby (v. vrá 'a corner of land'), and probably to be identified with portude Houflet 1155–58 (1334) Ch and perhaps Huffeld ', Hufflot (sic)1200 Cur (p). It is tentatively identified with Wenflet 1086 DB by the editors. The meaning is 'the stream, creek flowing in a hollow', v. hol 2 , flēot . If Wenflet does belong here then it is clearly an error. v. also rivulum de Hegeling ' in f.ns. (b) infra .