Wheat River Copse
Early-attested site in the Parish of Harting
Historical Forms
- Binuthenefre 1296 SR
Etymology
Wheat River Copse (6″) is away from any stream and is on the side of a hill so it is clearly another example of OE yfre becoming river , cf. River infra 123. The first element may be a corruption of white , referring to the chalk of the downs here.It was probably here that Reginald de Benuthenuure (Durf 18) was living in 1271, assessed as Reginald Binuthenefre in 1296 (SR). He lived 'beneath' the escarpment.