Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Hetheneburiels, Etenesburieles 1279 LibE

• Etheneburyles 1279 QW

• Hethenberieles 1288 Ass

• Hethenberyalles 1547 Pat

• hethen buryalls 1544 ChurchWardensBook

• The Heathen Burials 1840 TA

Etymology

This is, as the name suggests, an ancient burial place, the name having as its second element OE  byrgels , 'burial-place.'It should be noted that the s is not the plural suffix but part of the word itself and it remained attached to it until the 16th cent. It is to be regretted that the s has now become attached to the heathen instead. There is a tradition of the disinterment of some scores of urns here but unfortunately we know nothing further of them (cf. Allcroft, Downland Pathways 160). No other example has hitherto been noted of the preservation in actual name of a heathen burial-site.