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.

Gibbet Hill

Other OS name in the Parish of Shawell

Historical Forms

  • Loseby's Gibbet 1729 Bei
  • Gallow Hill 1842 TA

Etymology

on Watling Street is called Loseby 's Gibbet 1729 Bei, v. gibet; a gibbet was an upright post with an arm for hangingthe bodies of already executed criminals, here on a principal route as avery evident example to others. Whether Gibbet Hill is to be identifiedwith Gallow Hill 1842TA is uncertain , since strictly , a gallows ( galga ) was the instrument for execution by hanging rather than a means to exhibit the executed , so that rather than being from galga , Gallow Hill may be an instance of the common ' bare hill ' , v. calu .