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.

Rhydd Green

Early-attested site in the Parish of Great Malvern

Historical Forms

  • la Ridde 1241 FF 1276 RH
  • The Rid Green, Ridd Green 1725 BiblWo 1772 T

Etymology

This is probably simply 'the cleared land,' cf. ridde in EPN.Rhydd is on the Severn and the modern spelling is an artificial one due to an attempt to connect the name with the Welsh  rhyd , 'ford,' cf. Rhydd Covert in Kidderminster infra 252.The lords of Hanley Castle had gallows here and a trace of this remains in Hangman Lane just to the south.