Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Godeston 1248 FF 1434 Pat

• Godestone 1308 Seldxvii 1331 Pat

• Godiston 1446 FF

• Codeston 1279 FF (p), Ass

• Codestone 1312 AOMB 1317 FF 1322 Pat 1332 SR 1342 Ass 1347 Seldix 1415 Cl

• Coddestone 1288 SACvi 1304 LGo 1316 ib

• Coddeston 1313 Ass 1331 Cl 1347 Seldix

• Goddeston 1294 Ass

• Wolkensted al. Godstone 1548 FF

• Walkamsted al. Godstone 1585 SrWills

• Godstone al. Walkhampsted 1592 BM

Etymology

Godstone was originally merely a hamlet in the parish of Walkingstead (v. infra 320). Later the centre of population shifted from the latter to the former place, which is on a main road. The forms are hardly early enough for the original form of either the first or the second element to be determined with certainty. Spellings with initial c are much more numerous than those with g , while those with final e are slightly more frequent than those without. 'Codd 's stone' is therefore a possible meaning, this being a recorded OE personal name. There may well have been an old stone here, since the place is on a Roman road (v. Stratton infra 319). tun is equally possible as the second element. The old tradition is that the place is so called 'from its excellent Quarries of Free-stone' (Aubrey iii, 69).