Survey of English Place-Names

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.