Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Cuningeswad 1155–65 WhiteBk 14th

• Conninggeswath, Coniggeswath 1227 Stowe

• Cuningeswhat, Cuningeswalt 1232 Ch

• Conyngeswath t.Hy3 Welbeck

• Kuningeswat 13th Blyth

• Conyngeswath' 1300 For

• Conyngeswath 1338 Pat

• Conyswathe forde which is in Haughton parke 1589 For

• Coniswathford which is at Haughton Park Side 1663 WoodsRept

• Conworth Alders 1826 G

• Conjure Alders c.1840 TA

Etymology

Conjure Alders. Most of the perambulations of Sherwood Forest begin at this point. It occurs as Cuningeswad 1155–65 (14th) WhiteBk , Conninggeswath , Coniggeswath 1227Stowe 798, Cuningeswhat , Cuningeswalt 1232 Ch, Conyngeswath t. Hy 3Welbeck , Kuningeswat 13thBlyth , Conyngeswath '1300 For. Later spellings are Conyngeswath 1338 Pat, Conyswathe forde which is in Haughton parke 1589For , Coniswathford which is at Haughton Park Side 1663 WoodsRept, Conworth Alders 1826 G, Conjure Alders c. 1840TA . It is a purely Scandinavian compound of konungr and vað , hence 'king's ford.' The ford carried the ancient road from Nottingham to Blyth across the Maun just after it had been joined by the Meden. The ford is now replaced by Conjure Alders Bridge (6″). The sound development would seem to have been that [kɔniz] > [kɔnz] > [kɔndʒ].