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. Dawscroft Ho (Other OS name, Brewood, Staffordshire)

    , cf. Dawespleck infra under ( b )

  4. Haling Grove, Haling Close & Haling Rd or Haling Dene (Other OS name, Penkridge, Staffordshire)

    ( local ) , from haling vbl . sb . ( b ) NED used attributively and meaning ' haling-path or towing-path ' ; it refers to the nearby canal

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

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

  6. 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 )

  7. 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

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

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

  9. 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 , ”

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

    Oldefeld c. 1312 H de B

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

  11. Powder Blue Fm (Other OS name, Eye, Northamptonshire)

    is so named in 1823 B . The NED defines ' powder-blue ' as ' powdered smalt,especially for use in the laundry . ' The reason for the application of the name is unknown

  12. Ree Lane (Other OS name, Loughton, Essex)

    survives in Ree Lane Cottages ( local ) and ( local ) , both in England 's Lane

  13. Syke Way (Other OS name, Earls Barton, Northamptonshire)

    Sike Gutter 1740 Terrier

    ( B ) . Cf. Sike Gutter 1740Terrier , v. sic