Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Hardclay (sic) Hy2–1286 NB

• Hardcla 1292 Ass6

• Hardecla 1280–90 StBees

• Harteclo 1176 Pipe

• Hartecla 1280 Lowth 1291 MdMb 1292 Ass5 1294 HolmC 1415 NWm

• Hartcla 1272 Lowth 1292 Ass20 1300 ChancW 1328 Banco

• Hertcla 1282 Cliff 1312 Fine 1361 Pat

• Herteclay 1361 Misc

• Harcla 1189–99 Lowth 13 Musg c.1250 Leng 1279 Ass1d 1292 1368 Pat

• Arcla 1200–10 Crk37 Hy3 Macheli,1 1279 Ass20

• Harkla 1278 Ass8d 1292 QW 1338 Pat

• Harocla 1256 Ass1

• Artele 1265 Cl

• Herc(k)la 1265 Pat 1344 Musg

• Harthecla c.1270 MdMb

• Harecla 1275 AD65

• Harklowe 1278 Ass5

• Harklaue 1278 Lowth

• Harclaue 1279 Lanc

• Harkeleye 1278 Ass5 1279 ib

• Harclay 1292 QW 1377 SR 1379 Cl

• Herclay 1337 Ch

• Hertlay, Hertley 1283 Lowth 1370 Pat 1552 Visit

• Hartlay, Hartl(e)y 1370 Hom 1547 MinAcct 1714 RatesE

Etymology

This obscure name would seem to be from an early ME  Hard - or Harthe - for the first el. (with the later Hart -, Hert - by assimilation to the following -k -) and -cla or -klawe for the second (-clay being a northern ME  and later variant of -clā ); the form Hartley is a later adaptation to a common type of name. Ekwall has suggested that the name is from OE  harað 'wood' and an OE  *clā, a side-form of OE  clēa , clawu 'claw, something cloven', which is well-enough evidenced in p.n. usage and seems to denote 'a tongue of land between two streams' or 'a low curving hill projecting into flat ground' (cf. Clawton D 138, Clayworth Nt 28, EPN i, 96); if this is the el. in Hartley it would presumably refer to the curving ridge between the Eden and Hartley Beck; Hartley Castle is at the upper end of the ridge. There are, however, some difficulties with this interpretation.OE  harað 'wood', which is best represented in southern and southeastern p.ns. has not been so far found in the north of England; we could, however, have OE  heard or ON  harðr 'hard'. There is no evidence for a by-form *clā (on the contracted form *clēa from PrGerm  *klawō cf. Campbell §120.3, and on the dat.plur. clām ib §236.2), unless we have an unusual form of analogical Scandinavian sound-substitution (cf. ME strā 'straw' from ON strá in Stramongate i, 117 supra by the side of ME straw ). The name would mean 'hard ridge of land'.