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. Owlscastle (Early-attested site, Horsham, Sussex)

    Owlscastle may have been one of the hiding places of the owlers who engaged in Surrey and Kent in the trade of smuggling wool or sheep out of England (v. SAC 24, 141 and

  2. 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

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

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

  4. 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

  5. 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.

  6. 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 )

  7. 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 )

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

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

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

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

  10. 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 .

  11. 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  15. 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 )

  16. 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

  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