Cuckow Church
Early-attested site in the Parish of Warwick St Mary
Historical Forms
- Cukhowchirche 1397 Warwick
- Cokhowchirche 1406 ib
- Coukkowchirche 1401 IpmR
- Cockouchurch 1403 Cl
- Coukowechurche 1407 Cl
- Cokkowe chyrche 1449 Warwick
- Cukkowe Churche 1479 Pat
- Cokkowe churche 1493 ib
- Cuckow Ch. 1535 VE 1656 Dugdale
- Cuckowhill olim Ryckmershay 1725 B
- Rykemylesbury 14th Warwick
Etymology
The first element is probably the ordinary word 'cuckoo.'The reason for the name is unknown. Cf. “certain grounds lying within Wedgnok-park where antiently stood a Chapel which was of the Earls of Warwick 's patronage” (Dugdale 183).According to Dugdale (loc. cit .) the chapel once belonged to a village called Rykmersbery (Rykemylesbury 14thWarwick ) long since depopulated. It lay two miles west of Leek Wootton church and the name is probably preserved in Cuckow Hill near Bulloak Fm (Kempe 216).