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.

  1. Paddle Cottage (Early-attested site, Edgcote, Northamptonshire)

    “If we can Pad-well overgoe and Horestone we can see;

    Then Lords of England we shall be.”

    The Horestone he tells us was a famous old stone on the borders of

  2. Boston Lane (Other OS name, Clawson, Hose and Harby, Leicestershire)

    , presum . with the surn . Boston , cf. Boston hoale in Knipton f. ns . ( b )

  3. Brian's Close (Other OS name, Laughton, Leicestershire)

    ( 2 ½ ″ ) , a house built in the 1930s ; with the surn . Brian Bryan , a Breton name introduced into England by the Normans

  4. Bruntingthorpe Holt (Other OS name, Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire)

    ( 2 ½ ″ ) , v. wald ; the development of wald locally was *wald > *wold > olde > oult > olt > holt , v. the Olt field in f.

  5. Butlers Cottage (Other OS name, Loddington, Leicestershire)

    , with the surn . Butler , cf. Butlers cunnery in f. ns ( a ) and Butlers close in f. ns . ( b )

  6. Church Thorns (Other OS name, Redmile, Leicestershire)

    , v. þorn ; perh . so called because at the edge of the former Churchfield , but v. Halythornfurlong listed in adjoining Barkestone f. ns . ( b )

  7. Cottagers Close (Other OS name, Aylestone, Leicestershire)

    , v. cotager and Cottiers Close in f. ns . ( b ) infra

  8. Cresswell Spring Fm (Other OS name, Waltham, Leicestershire)

    , v. spring 1 and Cresswell in f. ns . ( b )

  9. Flaxman'S Spinney (Other OS name, Wistow, Leicestershire)

    , v. spinney ; possibly with the surn . Flaxman , from the ME  occupational name flaxman ' a dresser or seller offlax ' , but note Flaxlandes in f. ns .

  10. Guthlaxton Gap (Other OS name, Cosby, Leicestershire)

    Guthlaxton Bridge 1835 O

    , 1807 Nichols , v. gap , cf. Guthlaxton Bridge 1835 O at this site ; v. Guthlaxton Hundred supra and Gutlakestonfelde in Cosby f. ns . ( b ) infra

  11. Harby Hall (Other OS name, Clawson, Hose and Harby, Leicestershire)

    , v. the Hall Close and the Hall Leys in f. ns . ( b )

  12. Highgate Wood (Other OS name, Brampton Ash, Northamptonshire)

    ( B ) . Cf. Hyegatestybbyng 1430 Finch - Hatton . For stybbing v. infra 270

  13. Holloway Spinney (Other OS name, Gumley, Leicestershire)

    , v. hol 2 , weg , spinney and Holgate in f. ns . ( b )

  14. Horseshoe Fm (Other OS name, Borough Fen, Northamptonshire)

    Horse Shoe Drove 1823 B

    . Cf. Horse Shoe Drove 1823 B . ' Drove ' is a term used in the fens for a road along which cattle are driven , and for a water - way ( PN BedsHu 294 )

  15. Kirtley Barn (Other OS name, Cranford St Andrew and St John, Northamptonshire)

    ( 6 ″ ) . Cf. Curtley Field in Slipton ( 1771EnclA ) , and Carkley Lane 1823 Sale Hill Wood ( 6 ″ ) is so named in 1823 B . For sale v. BritainSale

  16. Longsight Lane (Other OS name, Cheadle, Cheshire)

    ( 101–869844 ) . This is a straight stretch of road 300 yards in length , providing a long ' sight ' or view , in the sense used in surveying etc . , v.

  17. New England (Other OS name, Peterborough, Northamptonshire)

    is a modern district which grew up round the railway works here post 1850 ( W . T . M . )

  18. Old Head Wood (Other OS name, Grafton Underwood, Northamptonshire)

    is so named in 1823 B , and nearby are also marked Wold Coppice and Warkton Wold . The meaning may have been ' wood at the head or end of the “ wold , ”

  19. Oldfield Thicket (Other OS name, Harlestone, Northamptonshire)

    Oldefeld c. 1312 H de B

    ( 6 ″ ) . Cf. Oldefeld c. 1312 H de B

  20. Pincet Lane (Other OS name, North Kilworth, Leicestershire)

    , poss . with pyncette ' tweezers, forceps ' ; this lane in the northern extremity of the parish splits into a Y - fork , echoing the shape of tweezers . The