English Place-name Society

Survey of English Place-Names

A county-by-county guide to the linguistic origins of England’s place-names – a project of the English Place-Name Society, founded 1923.

Gravenhurst

Early-attested site in the Parish of Bolney

Historical Forms

  • Grauenherst 1313 FF
  • Grauehurst 1327,1332 SR

Etymology

Gravenhurst is Grauenherst 1313 FF, Grauehurst 1327, 1332 SR (all p). This would seem to be from OE  grǣfan -hyrst , 'wood of the brushwood-thicket,' v. græfe , hyrst . Cf. Gravenhunger (PN Sa 106) from the same first element and hangra , Gravenhurst (PN BedsHu 151) and Gravenhill (O), c. 1210 BM Gravenhull .