Overstrand
Major Settlement in the Parish of Overstrand
Historical Forms
- Othestranda 1086 DB
- Ouerstrand 1209,1250 Ass
- Overestrande 1223 Cur
- Ovrestrande 1224 Cur
- Overstrand 1225 1231 Cl 1473–5 ECP
- Overstronde 1240,1325,1383 FF 1337 Inq 1535 VE
- Ouerstrond 1250 Ass 1333 SR
- Houerstronde 1250 Ass
- Oustronde 1268 FF
- Ouestronde 1269 Ass 1275 RH
- Ovestrande 1275 ib
- Ovestrond 1285 FF
- Oystronde 1292 ib
- Ovrestrand 1301 ib
- Overstrounde 1308 DeBanco
- Overstrond 1327 1339 FF
- Owstoonde 1477 Past
- Oxstrand 1574 Saxton 1620 Speed
- Oxtrand 1626 Sid
Etymology
The interpretation depends on how far we are willing to trust the DB form, which suggests the meaning 'the other shore', and the name could be compared with Otherton in Staffordshire. However, if we go by the vast majority of old spellings, the first element of this name ending in strand 'shore' looks like OE ōfer1 'border, margin, bank, sea-shore'.According to Ekwall (DEPN), a sense-development to 'edge of a hill' is possible and, from the topographical situation, he considers such a meaning more likely here and gives the translation 'shore with a steep edge, narrow shore' (DEPN s.n.), as against the neighbouring Sidestrand 'broad shore' (v. infra ).
The old church had been swallowed up by the sea in the last year of Richard II. In the first year of Henry IV a patent was granted to build a new parish church, like the old one dedicated to St Martin (NfT 168). It had become ruinous in the 18th century but was rebuilt and partly restored in 1911–14. A church (Christ Church) built in 1867 has been pulled down (Pevsner 295 f., EAA 51: 45, 54, 166). Several cliff falls have occurred in recent years.