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.

Quernhow

Early-attested site in the Parish of Pickhill

Historical Forms

  • Quernhowe 1327 Banco
  • Whernehowe 15 VCH
  • Whernou 1536 YChant 1578 FF

Etymology

Quernhow is a small mound on the Roman road (Leeming Lane or Watling Street), which forms the boundary between the parishes of Ainderby and Middleton Quernhow. v. haugr .The first element is ON  kvern , 'mill stone' (cf. cweorn), which also enters into a similar Norw  p.n. Kvernehaugen (NG i. 79).

Places in the same Parish