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.

Woodlesford

Early-attested site in the Parish of Rothwell

Historical Forms

  • Wrid(e)lesford(e), Wryd(e)lesford(e) 12 WB1 1185–1202 YChviii 1201 Cur c.1204 Pont 1243 Fees 1246 Ass3d 1250 FF 1251 Ch 1254 YI 1425 Rent
  • Wryd(e)lesforth Hy3 Calv
  • Wrīslesfordia c.1150 Crawf
  • Widlesford 1188–1202 YChviii
  • Writeleford l.12 Lewes300d
  • Writhelesford 1270 Nost44
  • Wrilesford 1201 Kirkst
  • Wriddlisford' 1202 FF
  • Wirdlesford c.1250–8 YDiii
  • Wrideleford 1276 RH
  • Wridelford' 1487 MinAcct
  • Wodelesford 1252 Skyr 17
  • Wudelesford 1425 Rent
  • Wo(o)dlesworth (sic) 1618,1620 PRRth
  • Woodlesford, Woodlesforth 1626 1638 SessnR 1667 PRRth
  • Woodesforth 1682 SelbyW
  • Wreddelsforthe 1548 PRRth
  • Wordleworthe 1572 PRLds
  • Wordlesford 1651 PRRth
  • Wriglesforth 1596,1599 PRRth
  • Wriglesworth 1620,1744 ib

Etymology

The oldest form of the name is certainly Wridelesford , with an occasional Writel - through AN  influence and Writhel - through ON influence or that of the OE variant wrīð for wrīð . In the later spellings Wrigles - arises from Wrideles - through a rationalising substitution (from ModE  wriggle ), and the second series, which culminates in the current form Woodlesford , begins with such metathesised spellings Wirdles -, Wordles - and follows the normal dial. development (with loss of -r -) to Wo (o )dles -. The name means, as Ekwall suggests, 'ford near a thicket', from an OE  wrīdels (a derivative of wrīd 'a bush' with the suffix -els ) and ford . The ford was presumably one which carried the Wakefield-Tadcaster road across the Aire where Swillington Bridge now stands, v. Addenda.

Places in the same Parish

Early-attested site

Other OS name