Kent |
Northumberland Yeavering: Ancient royal centre of Bernicia that contained a Heathen temple that was converted to Christian usage by Bishop Paulinus. Cumbria No place names yet. County Durham Shincliffe: The first element of Shincliffe comes from the Old English scinna, and refers to a type of spectre. So the name roughly refers to a cliff that is visited by a spectre. North Yorkshire Fryup: Place name that contains the name of the goddess Frige. The name is said to translate as marshy enclosure of Frige. Fridaythorpe: Name that bears the name of the goddess Frige. Goodmanham: Place of ancient Heathen worship. It is in Goodmanham that the Heathen Priest Coifi desecrated his own temple. West Yorkshire No place names yet. South Yorkshire Bolsterstone: A South Yorkshire name that possibly contains the name of the Anglo-Saxon god Bealdor. Ewden: A place name that lays very close to Bolsterstone, and a name that could contain the name of the god Wuldor. Dwarrenden: This name contains the word dwarfs, beings that the Heathen Anglo-Saxons widely believed in. It suggests a place that the Heathens believed was inhabited by dwarfs. Humberside No place names yet. Lancashire No place names yet. Greater Manchester No place names yet. Lincolnshire No place names yet. Derbyshire Drakelow: This name comes from dracan hlaw and means dragon's mound. Nottinghamshire No place names yet. Cheshire No place names yet. Staffordshire No place names yet. Norfolk Thursford: Thurs comes from the Old English thyrs and means giant, so the name basically means ford of the giant. Shropshire No place names yet. Leicestershire No place names yet. Cambridgeshire No place names yet. West Midlands Wednesbury: Place name that contains the name of the Anglo-Saxon god Woden. The place name means Woden's Fortress. Wednesfield: Another place name that contains the name of the Heathen god Woden. Wednesfield means Woden's Plain. (Note: Wednesfield and Wednesbury are found in very close proximity to one other, this suggests that the influence of Woden was very strong in this area.) Northamptonshire Weedon Bec, Weedon Lois: Two place names that bear the word weoh, and hints at an area where the Anglo-Saxons worshipped their idols. Warwickshire Tysoe: Village name that translates as hill spur of Tiw. Evidence suggests that Tysoe and it's surrounding area was very sacred to the god Tiw. Greenhill: The Green- element of this Warwickshire place name is said to come from the word grima, a ghost or sprite. So the name Greenhill roughly refers to a hill haunted by a ghost. Grimley: Like Greenhill the Grim- element of Grimley comes from Old English grima. But in this case it refers to a wood haunted by a ghost or sprite. Shuckburgh: The Shuck- of Shuckburg comes from Old English scucca, a type of goblin. Suffolk Sutton Hoo: Ancient cemetery of the Anglo-Saxon kings of East Anglia and site of the Sutton Hoo ship burial. Worcestershire Tyesmere: Lost, but not forgotten, place name containing the name of the god Tiw. The name Tyesmere means lake of Tiw. Nikerpoll: A place name that existed close to Pershore. Niker comes from the Old English nicor and is a reference to a water monster. Arrowfield Top: Place name containing hearg, the Old English word for a hill sanctuary. Herefordshire Shucknall: A name referring to a hill that is visited by a goblin, known to the Anglo-Saxons as a scucca. Bedfordshire Harrowden: The Harrow of Harrowden comes from the Old English word hearg and refers to a hill sanctuary, it points clearly to place of pre-Christian worship. Buckinghamshire Weedon: The first part Wee comes from the Old English word for idol and suggests a place of Heathen worship. Oxfordshire Tusmore: The Tus- element of Tusmore comes from the Old English word thyrs and refers to a giant. So the name Tusmore translates as the mere or lake of the giant. Gloucestershire No place names yet. Essex Thundersley: Place name close to Basildon that contains the name of the Anglo-Saxon thunder god Thunor. The name means clearing of Thunor. Hertfordshire Thundridge: A Herts place name containing that of the thunder god Thunor. Wiltshire Wodnes-beorh: Place name found close to Alton Priors that means Woden's Barrow. Woden's Barrow today is known as Adam's Grave. Wodnes-denu: Place name close to West Overton that contains the name of the god Woden. Wodnes-denu means Woden's valley. Thunresfeld: Lost place name that translates to the field of Thunor. London No place names yet. Berkshire No place names yet. Kent Woodnesborough: Place name close to the Kentish coast containing the name of the Anglo-Saxon god Woden. Wornshill: Another Kentish place name containing the name of the god Woden. Thunores-hlæw: A now lost place name containing the name of Thunor the Anglo-Saxon thunder god. Thunores-hlæw translates as Thunors Barrow, and it's this place name that is strongly connected to the god Thunor within the tale of St Mildthryth. Read more about the tale in the Thunor page of the gods and goddesses section. Alkham: The first part of Alkham comes from the Old English word ealh. Ealh is a word that means temple and points clearly to a place of Heathen worship. Ealhfleot: A name that once existed close to Faversham. Again this name contains the ealh element meaning temple. Wye: Name that comes from weoh the Old English word meaning idol or place of idols. Somerset Wansdyke: Earth work in Southern England that runs from Somerset to Hampshire, the name Wansdyke means dyke of Woden.The fact that the Anglo-Saxons named this earth work after their god Woden suggests they may have believed that Woden was it's creator and thus named it in his honour. Hescombe: The name translates as valley of the witch. the 'Hes-' element comes from hægtesse, the Old English word for witch. From hægtesse we also get the word hag. Surrey Thunderfield: Name containing that of Thunor the Anglo-Saxon thunder god. Tuesley: Place name that incorporates the name of the Anglo-Saxon war God Tiw. The name means clearing of Tiw, which clearly indicates a place of Tiw worship. Hascombe: The name Hascombe means valley of the witch. The first part of the place name comes from Old English hægtesse and means witch. Peper Harrow: Place name containing hearg, the Old English word for a hill sanctuary. Whiligh, Whyly, Willey: These three Surrey place names contain the Old English word weoh. This is a word that refers to a place that once housed idols of worship. Cusanweoh: A now lost place name near Farnham that points to the Heathen tradition of owning personal shrines or places of worship. Cusanweoh translates to shrine of Cusa. Besingahearh: A lost place name meaning sanctuary of the Besings, this would have been a private sanctuary used by the Besings. Hampshire Wansdyke: Earth work in Southern England that runs from Somerset to Hampshire, the name Wansdyke means dyke of Woden.The fact that the Anglo-Saxons named this earth work after their god Woden suggests they may have believed that Woden was it's creator and thus named it in his honour. Thunres-lea: Lost place name near Southampton containing the name Thunor. The name means clearing of Thunor and was a place of strong worship of the thunder god. Tislea: Now lost English place name meaning clearing of Tiw. Freefolk: An English place name containing the name of the goddess Frige. The Doomsday book of the eleventh century records the name as frigefolc. The name means people of Frige. Frobury: Another Hampshire place name that bears the name of the goddess Frige. Froyle: Place name that contains the name of the goddess Frige. The name is said to descended from the Old English Freohyll, which means hill of the goddess Frige. It is said that at one time both Frobury and Froyle were identical in name. Wheely Down, Weyhill: Two place names that contain weoh,which refers to a place where idols were venerated. Sussex Patchway: This name means the shrine of Pæccel and suggests that in Heathen days it was an area where a personal shrine to the gods and goddesses was housed. Devon Shobrooke: A name that translates as the brook of the scucca. And refers to a stream that is visited by a goblin type creature. Dorset No place names yet. Cornwall No place names yet. Isle of Wight No place names yet. |
Kent |
North Sea |
Scotland |
Irish Sea |
Wales |
English Channel |
Map of Heathen English Place Names |
Click on an English county name for more information concerning the place names within that county. |
