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.

Shomer Ditch

Early-attested site in the Parish of Eastbourne

Historical Forms

  • Shold(e)mere 1368,1381 Ct
  • S(c)holmere 1490 CplM
  • Shawmere, Sholdmere Dyke 1551 CplM
  • Shoemer Dike, Shomer Ditch 1606,1634,1790 CplM

Etymology

Shomer Ditch (lost) flowed from South Street to the Wish. It is Shold (e )mere 1368, 1381Ct , S (c )holmere 1490CplM , Shawmere , Sholdmere Dyke 1551CplM , Shoemer Dike , Shomer Ditch 1606, 1634, 1790CplM . 'Shallow mere,' v. sceald , mere . For the form shold , cf. Shadwell supra 391.