Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Alencestr' c.1160 S c.1280

• Alecestre c.1270 AD 1285 Ass

• Buggestret c.1250(c.1280)andc.1260(c.1280) S

Etymology

Second element ceaster. The first is the Romano-British place- name Alavna, which occurs in the Ravenna Cosmography (v. Introduction xvi, n. 2). The formally identical Alcester in Wa (PN Wa 193–4) is on the Roman road part of which is called Buckle Street (PN Wo 2, early forms Buggildestret , Buggan stret , Bucgan stret ). In PN ERY xlviii attention was drawn to the use of the names Bogildestret , Bugildewaye and Buggilderode for the Roman road which runs from Bicester past Stratton Audley and Water Stratford to Stow.The Oxfordshire continuation of this road, from Alchester to Dorchester, is called Buggestret c. 1250 (c. 1280) and c. 1260 (c. 1280) S, and it thus appears that both Alcester and Alchester were situated on Roman roads known as Buggildestret or Buggestret .Another reference to the O road is found in the Beckley charter (v. Introduction xxv). The bounds run from Ot Moor þwyrs ouer bugenrode . The form bugenrode is obviously due to the 14th century copyist rather than the original 11th century scribe, but there can be no doubt that the reference is to this Roman road.