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Suffolk Natural History, Vol. 35 SUFFOLK PLACE-NĂ„MES AND WILDLIFE G. D. HEATHCOTE
A study of local place-names can be interesting and instructive but it must bc remembered that their origin is not always obvious, or certain. A widc knowledgc of several languages (not held by the writer of this article) is required before this study can be taken seriously. Claude Morley, who founded thc Suffolk Naturalists' Society, was a man with wide interests, not only an expcrt entomologist but also an etymologist who published many notes on the origins of Suffolk place-names in the East Anglian Miscellany from 1947 until his death in 1956. Earlier, the Cambridge Antiquarian Society had published the Rev. W. W. Skeat's The place-names of Suffolk, and since Morley's death several studies have been made of specific areas within Suffolk, such as W. G. Arnott's The place-names of the Deben valley parishes. The English Placename Society has published English place-name elements, and there have been major publications on English place-names by E. Ekwall, P. H. Reaney, and, above all, in recent years by Margaret Gelling. This articlc aims to show links between wildlife and major place- names in Suffolk and the difficulties presented by the study of place-names. It is concerned only with the villages and towns and not with fields or farms. It is largely based on Morley's notes and may not reflect modern views on the origins of these names. It is necessary to determine the spelling used in early documents before one can be at all certain of the interpretation of a placename, and occasionally the local pronunciation will also give a clue. To give but one example, it would seem reasonable to link the name of Woolpit in an area famous for wool in the Middle Ages with the wool industry, but several authorities suggest that the name is a corruption of 'Wulfpyt', a Saxon name meaning 'a pit to trap wolves'. But a local historian, Peter Northeast, is convinced that it is based on a personal name, that of ' U l f , which. was written as 'Wlf' into late Medieval times (Pers. comm.). Place-names in England may have a Celtic, Roman, Scandinavian or Norman-French origin. In Suffolk Celtic names are few, although some rivers, such as the Blyth and Kennett have a Celtic name, and so are those of Roman origin except where there was a major settlement or fortification. The endings of place-names often give a clue as to their origin. Anglo-Saxon Anglo-Saxon place-names are dominant in Suffolk. They are recorded here as 'Old English' (OE) and are from the 5th to 1 Ith Century. Many end in 'ing', meaning 'people of when added to a personal name, as in Barking - Beric's people, and many end in 'ham\ meaning 'homestead' or 'village', as in Saxham - 'the home of the Saxons' or 'Saca's homestead', from the OE 'Seax-ham'. These two endings are combined in Framlingham - 'Fram's people's village'. Danish/Norse Danish (ODAN) and Norse (ON) names from the 9th, lOth and 1 Ith centunes are relatively rare in Suffolk, but endings to look out for include 'toft',
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meaning 'the sitc of a homestead', as in Lowestoft - 'Hloever's homestead', and 'thorpe'. meaning 'outlying farm' or 'secondary settlemcnt', as in Ixworth Thorpe - 'belonging to Ixworth'. Another Danish ending is ' b y \ meaning 'farmstead' or 'village', but there are few villagc with ihis ending in Suffolk. Of course, English villages may have been given Scandinavian names at a latcr stage. In other words, a name does not necessarily relale to the origin of a Community. Norman-French . The Norman-French place-names may be linked to a family name, as in lhorpe Morieux and Carlton Colville. Morieux is in the Cรถte-du-Nord, and the manor of Thorpe was held by Roger Murious in 1201. One of the Bradfields, Bradfield Combust, also comes from Norman-French meaning 'burnt Bradfield', as the name appears in some early maps. It probably arose from an attack by the peasants in revolt against the Abbey of St. Edmund. Geographical features and Vegetation Place-names in the landscape have been described in great detail by Margaret Gelling in a recent book. The names of many Settlements relate to the geographical features such as streams, fords or pools, and may also give the Vegetation of the site, as in Rushbrooke, Rushford and Rushmere - from OE 'risc' = 'rush' Some just give the Vegetation, as in Redgrave, from the OE 'hreod' = 'reed' and 'graef' = 'ditch', although Rede, SSW of Bury, is thought to come from a personal name, OE 'reada' = 'the red" or 'settlemcnt of the red one', and not from the reeds. Rede is 116m above sea level, high for Suffolk, and not in a wet area. Gelling thinks that Redgrave simply means 'red grove', but most naturalists associate Redgrave with the fen and think the reed explanation more likely. The unattractively-named Nettlestead, N W of Ipswich, is 'nettles place', from OE 'netele'. few flowering plants are mentioned speeifieally in place-names but Livermere comes from OE 'laefer' or 'lefr', the Yellow Flag (Iris pseudacorus). Skeat claimed that 'lever' is still used in Norfolk as the name of this plant, but I have never come across this. Kersey means 'cress Valley', and Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) may still grow there. Wild roses must still grow at Hepworth, = 'hip settlemcnt'. We still use rosehip syrup. Was a similar drink made in earlier times? Juliet Hawkins supplied an interesting plant association, suggesting that Milden is derived from OE 'melde' = Fat Hen (Chenopodium album), which was used by the Saxons as a vegetable. However, Skeat noted that Milden was speit 'Milding' in 1764 and suggested that the name came from 'mcldings' = 'settlement of the family of Melda'. We can never be sure. However, there is little doubt that the name Farnham comes from OE 'faernham', meaning 'fern enclosure'. The two Hoptons in Suffolk are unlikely to be named after hops. ( I h e Saxons were fond of beer, but I do not think they flavoured it with hops.) The name probably comes from OE 'hop', = 'remote enclosed place', and meant 'settlement on a marsh-promontory' according to Gelling.
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Bad botany In somc instances there is doubt as to the identification of the plant referred to in a place-namc. Boulge come from ME 'bulges', meaning 'heather-covcrcd waste', but hcather does not grow on the heavy boulder clay and Morley suggcsts that the plant was Restharrow (presumably Spiny Restharrow (Ononis spinosa), which is common on clay soils, whcrcas the Common Restharrow (O. repens) grows morc on shingle and sandy soils). Bentley comes from OE 'beonet leah' = 'coarsc grass meadow', but not necessarily whal we call 'Bent Grass' (Agrostis spp.) today. Trees Tree names appear in placc-names, usually because of a particularly prominent one marking a ford, a well or other feature. Ash trees are particularly well represented in Suffolk, as in Ash Bocking, from OE 'aesce', = 'at the ash tree of Bocc's family', and Badwell Ash, = 'at Badda's well at the ash tree'. Campsey Ash is from OE 'campi', = 'the ash at Campi's promontary'. Ashfield, OE 'aesce feld', has a slightly different meaning from what we would expect today, 'feld' meaning 'where trees are felled' and not referring to an open field. The village was therefore 'at the ash tree Clearing'. Ashley meant 'ash wood'. References to elm trees are almost as common in Suffolk. South Elmham is OE 'elem hamme', 'the enclosure near the elm trees'. Elmswell may have had elm trees by a well or spring, but the name could have come from 'aelfmaeres wella', = 'Elmeres' (here a corruption of 'Aelfmaeres') well'. There were presumably oak trees at Oakley and also at Eyke, 'eik' being ON for 'oak', and there were thom bushes (probably Hawthorn and not Blackthorn) at Thornham Magna, Thorndon and Thorington near Halesworth. Walsham-le-Willows is correctly linked with willows, and the 'le' a French connection, originally 'les', meaning 'near' or 'at'. The initial 'wal' is thought to come from 'wealh', = 'a stranger', so the fĂźll name of the settlement is 'a stranger's home near the willows'. Other tree associations include Alderton, = 'a farm by the alders', and Aspall, from the OE 'aesp heale', = 'shelter among the aspen'. Barking comes from the Old Mercian 'bekinges', = 'the birch tree grove dwelling'. At Copdock there was a pollarded oak ('copped ac') and East Bergholt comes from OE 'beorc', = 'birch' and OE 'holt', = 'copse', and so had a birch wood, or possibly 'hill copse', from OE 'beorh', or 'berg' = 'hill'. Jeff Martin commented that he always thought East and West Bergholt were named from their relation to a fortified hill, and there were earthworks known as Pitchbury Ramparts in a local wood called Pitchbury Wood. This might bc the hill with a copse on it. The box tree can present problems. Morley thought that Boxford came from the Box tree (Buxus sempervirens), which flourishes in many areas, but he suggested that Boxstead could have come from OE 'box' or 'boc steda', which could bc 'the place of the box' or 'of beech trees'. There is some uncertainty over Broom (Cytisus scoparius). Bramfield could have come from OE 'brom feld', = 'broom Clearing', as the light Pliocene crags of the arca abound with Broom plants, but they are not found at Brome on the valley
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gravcls of the River Dove. Could it be the wrong identification and Ihc 'brom' rcfer to Gorse (Ulex europaeus)? Bromeswell is thought to mean ' B r u m ' s well' and not refer to the broom plant. Wilford might equally bc 'where a willow tree marks the ford' or 'Wili's ford'.
Mammals Place-names are often linked to domestic animals, as in Shipmeadow on the Norfolk border, 'ship' = 'sheep', but much less often to wild animals. The badger, OE 'broc' appears in Brockley, Brockdish and Brockford, although they could have been derived from 'brook meadow', depending upon whether the short or long 'o' in 'broc' was involved. It is tempting to think that there might have been a badger's sett at Wetheringsett (which is very near Brockford Green), but although this is a possibility the name probably came from ' W e d r ' s people'. There is little doubt that Foxearth in Essex had foxes, as did Foxhall, OE 'foxa hola', however. Rabbits were introduced into England by the Normans and were restricted to well-guarded warrens throughout the Middle Ages and so Wangford Warren (an area and not a settlement) is a relatively recent name. We expect rabbits on the sandy breck and Coney Weston would fit the pattern admirably, but the name is not derived from the alternative name for rabbits, but from ON 'konung', = 'king', (or the OE equivalent 'cynig'). The village was recorded as 'Cunesgestuna' in 1086 and the name means 'king's west town'. There is, however, Conyer's Green, NE of Bury, a more recent settlement where someone was concerned with rabbits. The hare is indigenous and is remembered in Hargrave, OE 'hären grafa', = 'hare's trench', but it might have been used as a personal name originally. Most people' s first reaction to a place name ending in 'grave' is to look for a connection with human death, and probably think of a mass grave resulting from the 'Black Death' of the Middle Ages. However, most had their origin long before that period. Härtest must have had deer, and Martley = 'matten wood', reminds us that pine martens would once have been found in Suffolk woods.
Birds Birds also appear among Suffolk place-names. Cransford, OE 'cranes forda', suggests not only that cranes occurred there, but that they could walk across the river at this point. Cranes bred at Rickling during the 16th Century but are now generally considered extinct in England. However, a few cranes are said to be breeding in Norfolk in the last few years. Falkenham, OE 'fealcna-ham', = 'the enclosure of the falcon', and Hawkedon presumably had hawks, although the Old Mercian for 'hawk' was used as a personal name. Hawkr is a common Icelandic personal name today. Ousden, near the Cambridgeshire border, is 'owl valley'. However, Crowfield is thought to come from O E 'croft feld', = 'the croft Clearing' rather than from the crow; the village was spclt 'Crofeld' in 1086. Gosbeck, OE 'gos baec', = 'goose brook', and Yaxley, O E 'gaeces leah', = 'cuckoo meadow', are obvious bird associations. There is considerable debate as to the origin of Lackford. It would seem a back formation from 'Larkford', but the OE i e a c - ford' would make it 'where the leeks grow', and 'lacu' is OE for 'a running stream', the probable origin of
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thc name. Incidentally, naming the little stream which joins thc River Lark at Bury St. Edmunds, 'thc Linnett', is probably a minor joke! Anothcr confusing namc is that of Ramsholt ncar Woodbndge. Scholars suggest that the namc comes from OE 'hraem', = 'a raven', making it ;raven s holt' Hraem was used as a personal name and there are other possibilities. 'Hramsa' would make it the village 'where the wild garlic grows'. 'Ramsons remains the local name for the Wild Garlic (Allium ursinum) in Suffolk. There remains the possibility that it really does mean 'ram's meadow' (OE 'ramm 'ram') Unexpectedly, Spexhall means 'woodpecker's nook', from OE 'Space , = 'a woodpecker', and Margaret Gelling states that Finborough means 'woodpeckcr hill'. Skeat comments that 'speck' is a Norfolk name for a woodpcckcr, but I have never come across this in use. Elveden comes from Oh 'elfetdene', = 'swan Valley', although it sounds as if it should be named Irom 'elvers', young eels. Fc\v setüements in Suffolk are associated with fish, but the Fornhams on either side of the River Lark (All Saints, St Genevieve and St. Martin) are from OE 'forne' = 'trout', and so 'where trout were caught'. The nver may have been named''Fornea', 'the Trout Stream', earlier. Herringswell has little conncction with herrings, being derived from 'the well of the Herlingas' or of 'the Herela However, 'elm' is an early spelling for 'eel' and might be the ongin ot place-names beginning with 'elm' rather than the tree. One animal low on the evolutionary scale which does appear in Suffolk place-names is the frog, e.g. Frostenden, from OE 'froscan dene', = 'frog's Valley'. There is even a settlement named after an insect, more likely an overabundance of insects, Knettishall m e a n s ' g n a t s ' n o o k ' . . Earlier inhabitants of more northerly Settlements apparently had similar pests as the name Midgely appears twice in Yorkshire and there is a Migley in Durham. Claude Morley h» It somehow seems appropriate to end by mcntiomng Claude Morley agam He would have been well aware that his family name was a geographical placenamc from OE ' m o r \ a 'fen' word, usually meaning 'a low marshy area and OE 'leah', usually meaning 'heath'. There is no settlement named Morley in Suffolk, and he was not born in the County, but there is a Morley St Botolph ncar Wymondham in Norfolk. Incidentally, my family name of Heathcote means 'house on the heath', and my eldest daughter married a Woodhouse, = 'house in the wood'. Thenstudy°of place-names is undoubtedly useful in showing settlement patterns and readers interested in this aspect can consult An histoncal atlas of Suflolk (1988) which shows settlement patterns based on archaeological evidence. They should also read the work of Margaret Gelling which shows the importance of topographical terms in place-names. However, this bnef review does not suggest it is very helpful to those studying natural history.
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Pcrhaps.like me, you will find that this is a more complcx subject than it first appears to be! References East Anglian Miscellany - upon malters of history, gencalogy, archaeology, folk-law, literature, etc. relating to East Anglia. (1947-56). Camcron, K. (1961). English place-names. Batsford, London. Dymond, D. & Martin, M. (Ed.) (1988). An historical atlas of Suffolk. Suffolk County Council Planning Dept., & Suffolk Institute of Archaeology & History. Ekwall, E. (1960). The concise Oxford dictionary of English place-names. (4th Ed.) Oxford. Gelting, Margaret (1978). Signposts to the past. Dent, London. Gelling, Margaret (1984). Place-names in the landscape. Dent, London. Reaney, P. H. (1960). The origin of English place-names. Routledge & Paul, London. Skeat, W. W. (1913). The place-names of Suffolk. Cambridge Antiquanan Society. Smith, A. H. (Ed.) (1956). English place-name elements. English Place-namc Society, Cambridge University Press. G. D. Heathcote 2 St Mary's Square Bury St Edmunds Suffolk IP33 2AJ Ant-lions About June of 1986 out bird watching with a young friend on Dun wich Heath, we stopped to eat our sandwiches. I noticed some small depressions on a sandy bank and was intrigued to see sand being flicked up from the bottom, where I could just make out a pair of small lobster-like claws. My friend and I observed four to five pits and watched for about an hour. I had only just joined the R.S.P.B. that May and it was my first visit to Dunwich Heath which my friend wanted to show me so I cannot pinpoint the exact location, but I thought it was about TM472684. Consulting my Chinery book on insects it stated "not found in Britain" so, not being deeply into insects at this time, said to myself "Oh" and thought no more about it. About July 1992, then living near Thorpeness, I was helping the local gamekeeper with a long Standing problem of motorcyclists riding over Aldringham Common, near the Shell pit cottages where nearby there is a long borc-hole trench illegally used by the bikers to ride up and down. It was whilst steepening the sides to deter them that I noticed more of these stränge craters. Again, I thought no more about it until all the recent publicity on the television. As these records pre-date the sightings at Minsmere in 1994 I thought it worth reporting to the SBRC. Neil Mahler, Coxwains Cottage, South View Cottages, Thorpeness, Suffolk IP164NW
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