Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Westwic 1086 DB

• Westwyc 1101–7 Holme 13 Holme 1250 Ass 1293 BM

• Westwik 1155–89 Holme 1250 Ass 1254–75 Val

• Westwic 1250,1257 Ass

• Westwyk 1250 Ass 1311,1334,1352 FF 1316,1346,1402 FA 1344 Cl 1361 Pat

• Westwich 1254–75 Val

• Westwyke 1269,1286 Ass

• Westwike 1286 ib

• Westewyk 1356 FF

• Westwyk 1534 CtBromh

• Westwycke 1535 VE

Etymology

Ekwall explained this name as 'western wīc or dairy-farm' (DEPN s.n.). This is not the place to enlarge upon Ekwall's arguments, which are based on a thorough study of this place-name el. He says that “the meaning 'dependent farm', 'dairy-farm' or 'berewick', 'grange' can be assigned with a good deal of certainty to a great number of names” which show no convincing signs of palatalization of wīc in their series of old spellings, the reason being that they were originally plural in form. There is convincing evidence that a great many of these names in Old English ended in -wīcum , which was reduced to -wike , and later to -wick (Ekwall, OE wīc 30 ff.). v. wīc .

The church, dedicated to St Botolph, is situated “away from the village, in the grounds of the house” (Pevsner 340).