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.

Worsted's Fm

Early-attested site in the Parish of East Grinstead

Historical Forms

  • Wytherestede 1257 FF
  • Wirsted, Wyrstede 1279 Ass
  • Worsted 1547 Pat
  • Worsteds 1640 SRS14,145

Etymology

It may be that this difficult name is a compound of OE  wiþer , 'against,' hence 'opposite' and stede, in which case the name would be a parallel to the Geinsted in Westergate supra 64 n. It is difficult to be sure to what it was regarded as opposite, possibly to Fairlight Fm across the valley.