What's in a name? History of British field names revealed - Farmers Weekly https://share.google/vXh7MQOaCzyMuFCfk
Hopefully of interest...
It was!
Personally I love this kind of thing along with placenames in general
They seem to evolve as families come and go. Some names seem to last for ever and others are more transient. So we have a helicopter field because somebody landed one there. But the previous name was lost, when we bought the land, the name didn't come with it
Also we have calf field, which is our name. The previous name was back field, because it was just behind the house. We have a back field already, and for us it was the field handy for putting calves in :)
Some of them are old and relate to the origins of the field, Stillimore apparently derives from 'fenced moor' and it's not far from a group of buildings known as 'Moor Head.'
Some relate more to the topography, so we have near brow and far brow. Obviously if the farm was on the other side of the hill, the names would change round :)
We have Rockfield (field) at the end of old stone road...where there is a romano british farmstead
The village (read dormitory estates round a medieval core) I grew up in had a field commonly known as the Hilly Hollies. As in hills and hollows (nothing to do with Dave). It's official name was Castle Field. It contains an overgrown moated manor (the castle) and two medieval fish ponds.
On a slightly less obvious tack, old maps show an area of apparent moor on the then edge of our current village as named Van Diemans Land. Clearly what was then a topical coining.
Field names can be helpful in pin-pointing sites of battles, though sometimes this gets stretched to breaking point. There is a tendency to forget what Jim has ably pointed out - not all field names are old and they can change.
Very true.
If you want to dig around there are older maps available online or at the local library. Whilst not infallible they help sift out some of the more recent additions
Quote from: Erpingham on Aug 10, 2025, 09:27 AMField names can be helpful in pin-pointing sites of battles, though sometimes this gets stretched to breaking point.
In Wiltshire, there's a "Hougoumont Farm". I don't think anyone has used it yet to cast doubt on the traditional location for Waterloo...
Quote from: Cantabrigian on Aug 10, 2025, 10:40 AMQuote from: Erpingham on Aug 10, 2025, 09:27 AMField names can be helpful in pin-pointing sites of battles, though sometimes this gets stretched to breaking point.
In Wiltshire, there's a "Hougoumont Farm". I don't think anyone has used it yet to cast doubt on the traditional location for Waterloo...
We may not have to wait for long ::)
There was me and Wellington, back to back at Hougoumont Farm. Battalions of Frenchies to right and left. Wellington turned to me and between gritted teeth exclaimed "It's looking dire Old Boy, I think you warrant a battlefield promotion from drummer boy to corporal in this dire situation." "Thank you Sir. It's quite a step up from my current rank as Earl of Calne" I exclaimed as I beat the Military March on Marshall Ney's helmet. "Wiltshire will never fall" we defiantly yelled.....
True story! The Neates are famous around those parts for defending Wiltshire from French invasion. We were Napoleon's Archilles heal.
Quote from: Imperial Dave on Aug 10, 2025, 09:51 AMVery true.
If you want to dig around there are older maps available online or at the local library. Whilst not infallible they help sift out some of the more recent additions
A lot of public record offices could have the tithe map. They were apparently created as part of the Tithe Commutation Act of 1836, with most maps produced between 1838 and 1850. The one for round here shows individual fields, crops grown in the field, and the ownership and often the field name