Anderida.
As I have already said, Kent was once mainly either dense primæval forest, or marshland, which fringed nearly all its coastal border from Sussex to London. The greater part of the forest was that which extended along the northern border of the South Saxons with a breadth of thirty and a length of one hundred and twenty miles. But the royal forest of Blean (in which I was born) is continuous with Anderida, although it bears a separate name in a charter of King Offa in 791. This would make the forestal land extend from Whitstable through East and Mid Kent, Northern Sussex, Southern Surrey, and Eastern Hampshire, right down to Petersfield. Distinct, but contiguous, was the Cestmwarowalth or Cestersetta Wald, of which part remains in the woods between Rochester and Maidstone, although some would place it near Lyminge.
This primæval forest is still marked by a great survival of woodland and parks, as a coloured map of Kent would show, and also by the abundance of the characteristic terminations of burst, den, ley, holt, and feld. It names the Weald (Teutonic Wad—wood), although therein more cleared than anywhere else, and the less known Roman road, Well Street, which ran through it from Maidstone, should be probably the Wald road.
Generally called Anderida from the name the Romans gave to their fort and garrisoned place near Pevensey, this is only a change from the earlier Andred. Coed-Andred was its Celtic name, from Coed, a wood, which word appears also in Ked Coed (the hollow dolman in the wood), which was corrupted into Kits Coty House; while the Cotswolds give the Saxon addition to the Celtic name, so that the meaning is Wood-wood, just as Durbeck or the Ravensbourne mean Water-water by the Saxon surnaming of a Celtic name. In early Saxon charters, which are written in Latin, it appears as Saltus-Andred, Silva-Andred, Saltus communis, or Silva regalis, while in Saxon it is Andred, Andredsleage, or Andredsweald.
As to the meaning of the name, Edwards thinks it a proper name, which is very improbable considering its extent. Lambarde says Andred in the Celtic means great, which is simplest and best, provided that such a word is proved to exist. Dr. Guest refers it, less probably, to a Celtic negative an and dred, a dwelling, and Lewin to “an” for the “deni,” for oak-forest, and by a “dhu” for black.
It may be here interesting to give a list of the names borne nearly a thousand years ago by some towns and villages in Kent, especially those in the Weald. In a map in Furley’s Weald, he gives the manors and places mentioned in the Domesday Book (A.D. 1086), and by this it appears that settlements and cultivation were nearly all on the north and east edges of the great forest of Anderida. The only exceptions are Tivedale (now Tudely), Benindene (Benenden), Tepindene (Tiffenden), and Belicedene, which are deeper in the forest.
Taking the line of the Kentish Weald from west to east, we find fringing the primæval wood, Distreham (Westerham), Briestede (Brasted), Sondresse (Sundridge), Brotenham (Wrotham), Nargourde (Mereworth), Pecheham (W. Peckham), Pecheham (East Peckham), Otringebury (Wateringbury), Nedstede (Nettlestead), Hallinges (Yalding), Meddestane (Maidstone), Boltone Monchensei (Boughton Monchelsea), Certh (Chart Sutton), Suttone (Sutton Valence), Sudtone (East Sutton), Olecumbe (Ulcombe), Boltone Archiepiscopi (B. Malherbe), Bogelei (Bewley in B. Malherbe), Piventone (Pevington), Pluckelei (Pluckley), Rotinge (Roting in Pluckley), Litecert (Little Chart), Certh Mill, Certh (Great Chart), Eshetesford or Estefort (Ashford), Merseham (Mersham), Aldingtone (Aldington), Limes (Lymne), Boningtone (Bonnington), Bilsvitone (Bilsington), Rochinges (Ruckinge), Orleverstone (Orleston), Werahorne (Warehorne), Tintintone Dene (Tinton in Warehorne), Apeldres (Appledore), Palestre (Palster in Wittersham), Newedene (Newenden).
In the rest of Chenth (Kent) the chief places mentioned in Domesday were Bromlei (Bromley), Lolingstone (Lullingstone), Tarenteforte (Dartford), Gravesham (Gravesend), Rovescestre (Rochester), Esledes (Leeds), Scapige (Sheppey), Favershant (Faversham), Wi (Wye), Goversham (Godmersham), Cantuaria (Canterbury), Forewic (Fordwich), Roculf (Reculver), Tanet (Thanet), Sandwice (Sandwich), Estrei (Eastry), Addelam (Deal), Douere (Dover), Fulchestan (Folkestone), Heda (Hythe), and Romene (Romney).
One thing that strikes one at once is the proof any list of Kentish villages gives of the forestal character of Kent. As one of my aims is to save trouble on the part of some future writer who shall produce the long overdue History of Kentish Place-Names, I will here transcribe all which indicate a woodland origin. About a few I am doubtful, but probably others which I have in ignorance left out would balance them. There are in this list 20 of the characteristic dens, although far more survive as the names of manors or now uninhabited parts; there are 15 hursts and 35 woods—some of the last being no doubt modern as names of places. I make 174 of these forestal names as under:—
Abbey Wood, Ackhold (Oakwood), Acol (alias Wood), Acrise? (Oakridge), Appledore, Arnold’s Oak, Ash, Ashenden, Ashford, Ashley, Ashurst, Bargrove, Bellegrove (Benenden), Betteshanger, Bircholt, Boghurst Street, Bough Beech, Boughton (four), Boxhurst (Boxley), Bredhurst, Broad Oak, Brogueswood, Broome, Broomfield, High Brooms, Broomstreet, Bush, Challock Wood, Chart (four), Chartham, Chartham Hatch, Cheriton, Chesnut Street, Cobham Wood, Cowden, Cockham Wood, Colds Wood, Comp Woods, Crookhurst Street, Denstead, Denstroud, Denton (three), Denwood, Dingleden, East Malling Woods, Eastwood, Eggringe Wood, Elmley, Elmley Ferry, Elmstead (two), Elmstone, Eyehorne Hatch, Eyhorne Street, Eythorne, Hawkenhurst, Filmer’s Wood, Five Oak Green, Forest Hill, Four Elms, Frogholt, Goathurst Common, Gore Wood, Forsley Wood, Goudhurst, Grove, Grove End, Grove Ferry, Grove Green, Hatch Green, Hawkhurst, Hazelwood Hill, Hengrove, Henhurst, Henwood, Heronden, Hoaden, Hockenden, Hollingbourne, Hollanden, Holm Mill, Holmstone, Holt Street, Holwood Hill, Hookstead Green (Oakstead?), Horsmonden, Hurst, Ivy Hatch (Ileden), Kidbrooke?, King’s Wood, Kingsnorth, Knockhall, Knockholt, Lamberhurst, Leywood, Maiden Wood, Maplescombe, Marden, Mark Beech, Marwood, Mereworth Woods, Molash, Mussenden, Nagden, Northwood, Norwood (two), Nurstead (old Nutstead), Oakhurst, Oakley, Old Tree, Otterden, Oxenden Corner, Paddock Wood, Penenden Heath, Penshurst, Perry Street, Perry Wood, Pickhurst Green, Pinden, Plumstead, Plumpton, Quarry Wood, Rainden, Ringwould, Rolvenden, Saltwood, Sandhurst, Sevenoaks, Shadoxhurst, Sibertswold, Shottenden, Silcox Wood, Sissinghurst, Smarden, Snoll Hatch, Snoad Street, Southernden, Southwood, Speldhurst, Standen, Staplehurst, Swanscombe Wood, Tenterden, Thornham, Three Beeches, Eickenhurst, Waldershare, Waltham, Warden, Weald, Westenhanger, Westwood (two), Wissenden, Womenswould, Woodchurch, Woodcut Hill, Woodlands (two), Woodruff, Woodside Green, Wouldham.