Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Hwicceslea a.1075 GeldR l12

• Hwiccleslea a.1075 l12 ib

• Whicchesle 1290 For

• Wiceslea 1086 DB

• Wicesle 1086 ib

• Wicheslea 1185 P

• Wicelea 1086 DB

• Phwichel 1220 Cur

• Whicchele(e) 1299 For 1313 Deed 1344 For

• Wicheley 1309,1310 Inqaqd

• Wychele(e) 1310 Pat 1313 Deed 1375 Misc

• Wichele 1373 For

• pro vasto de Wicheslea 1185 P

• Wich(e)ley Heath 1610 Speed 1616 ExchDep

• Witchley Heath 1695 Map

• Ketton Common or Wichley Heath 1616 DKR

• Witchley Common 1780 Map

• Wychley Warren 1750,1772 Hotchkin c1800 Map

• Wi(t)chley Warren c1760,1769 Hotchkin 1801 Map 1810 Hotchkin 1846,1863 White

• Wichley Warren Corner 1758 Anc

• Wychly Warren Farm c1800 ib

• Warren Spinney c1800 Map

Etymology

The genitival s of the earliest forms suggests that the first element is an unrecorded OE  pers.n. Hwicce derived from the major folk-name Hwicce . However, these apparent genitival forms disappear very early and this is unusual. Also unusual is the presence of four place-names within thirty miles of each other in which a form of Hwicce , be it pers.n. or folk-name, seems to be present, namely Whissendine, Wichley (in Whissendine), Witchley in Edith Weston and Whiston Nth. It is very possible that rather than a pers.n., it is the folk-name which is present here and that the original form of the p.n. was *Hwicca -lēah 'the woodland of the Hwicce', v. lēah .

Witchley occupies a position beside a probable Roman road running south from Empingham and through Edith Weston, North Luffenham, Morcott and Barrowden parishes to cross R. Welland at Turtle Bridge. Thus, if a folk-group of the Hwicce was early in situ here, its position on an ancient routeway would parallel that of the Hwicce in Whissendine on the Roman road running west to Fosse Way from the major Romano-British settlement at Thistleton.

Witchley is the name of two hundreds in the Northamptonshire Geld Roll of a.1075, Hwicceslea east hundred and Hwiccleslea west hundred . In DB, these are treated as a single hundred: thus variously Wiceslea Hund ', Wicesle Hund ', Wiceslea Wapent ', Wicelea Wapent '. The hundred is unrecorded after 1086, v. hundred , vápnatak .

Minor names arising are: pro vasto de Wicheslea 1185 P (v. waste), Wich (e )ley Heath 1610 Speed, 1616ExchDep , Witchley Heath 1695Map (v. hǣð), Ketton Common or Wichley Heath 1616 DKR, Witchley Common 1780 Map (v. commun), Wychley Warren 1750, 1772Hotchkin , c1800 Map, Wi (t )chley Warren c1760, 1769Hotchkin , 1801 Map, 1810Hotchkin , 1846, 1863 White, Wichley Warren Corner 1758Anc (v. corner), Wychly Warren Farm c1800ib , Warren Spinney c1800 Map (v. wareine ).