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.

Plawhatch Hall

Early-attested site in the Parish of Forest Row

Historical Forms

  • Pleg(h)e 1139–61 ADA15417 c.1200 Lewes
  • La Plawe 1281 BM
  • Le Plawe 1612 SRS14,129
  • Plagh(e) 1285 CplM 1295 MinAcct 1327 SR 1403 IpmR
  • Plasze (sic) 1296 SR
  • Plawhatchgate 1564 DuLa
  • Playhatch 1724 B

Etymology

The first element is OE  plega, with variant form plaga , giving ME  pleghe , plaghe , plawe . Generally compounded with stow or stede to denote a place where human beings (or possibly animals also) amused themselves, here the place seems to have been christened simply 'Play.' The hæcc was one of the gates in this woodland area.