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.

Crumbles Pond and The Crumbles

Early-attested site in the Parish of Eastbourne

Historical Forms

  • Crumble 1272 RH
  • la Crumble 1280 SAC49,8
  • la Cromble 1276 SAC49,8
  • Crombele 1352 Ass
  • aqua de la Cromble 1442 DuLa
  • Cromble Pond 1610 Speed
  • le Cromble 1729 CplM

Etymology

Professor Ekwall suggests that we have here the same element crymel (not on record) found in Crimbles (PN La 166), a derivative of OE  cruma , 'crumb,' hence 'small fragment of land.'We should in Sussex have expected some Cremble -forms but perhaps the influence of the parent word cruma , ME  crumbe , crombe was too strong.