Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Wirchenefeld 1086 DB

• Werkenefeld 1229,1232 Cl 1230 Pat 1232 Ch t.Hy3 BM

• Wirkesfeld 1156 Holtzmann

• Wircnesfeud c.1180 Dane

• Wilkenefeld 1232 Cl

• Wingenefeld, Winkenefeld 1230–3 Ch

• Wilkenfeld 1275 RH

• Wynkenfeld t.Hy8 MinAcct

• Wylkenfeld ib.

• Winkarfeild 1609 LRMB

• Winker(s)feild 1663 WoodsRept 1684 Recov

• Inkersall 1658 CoRec

• Winkerfield oth. Inkersall 1747 Recov

• Inkersall Dam 1775 C

Etymology

This place-name would seem to have as its first element a personal name *Wyrcin , Wyrcen , a derivative of Wyrc or Werc found in Worksop infra 105, of the type discussed by Ekwall in Studies 2–20. Hence 'Wyrcen 's open land,' v. feld . Later there was common confusion of r , l and n (cf. IPN 108) and, later still, unexplained loss of initial w and final d . It is possible that the form of the name may have been influenced by the not very distant Ingars Holt in Bilsthorpe.