Place Names in Kent

by J. W. Horsley

One cannot enumerate all the Kentish dens which might be found not only on the map but in old manorial records. In old Tenterden alone there were Pittesden, Igglesden, Strenchden, Godden, Gatesden, Bugglesden, Finchden, Twisden, Lovedene, Haffendene, Brissendene, Haldene, and Little Haldene as manors, of some of which even the names have departed. I find that of the 16 parishes in the rural deanery of West Charing eight end in den and five in hurst, and I think Furley is in error when he says that only 16 extant parishes (as distinct from manors) in Kent end in den. A small original settlement in a den might soon increase in size even in early Saxon times, and so we have several parishes and manors called Denton. Other local place-names which are due to their position in the old forest land are those which end in hyrst or, later, hurst. Hursts and Cherts were the denser parts of the forest, and the word is said to apply specially to wooded high ground. The two words may be originally the same, with the old German Hart (whence the Hartz mountains), as parent. So we have Bredhurst, Goudhurst, Hawkhurst, Hurst Wood near Peckham, Penshurst, Sandhurst, Staplehurst, Chart, and two or three score more.

Another forest name is Holt or Hot—more common in Surrey than in Kent. The German is Holtz, which means both a wood and wood the material. It is also a common prefix or suffix in Iceland. Isaac Taylor gives us only one Holt in his table, for Central Kent at any rate, but we know Knockholt beeches, Birchholt near Smeeth, an Acholt (Oakwood) in each of the manors of Dartford, Wingham, and Monkton, and Hot Wood; while further study is necessary to determine whether from Holt or from Hoath or Hoth (a heath) come Hothfield, Oxenhoath, and Hoath or Hoad near Reculver. “Another common suffix in the neighbourhood of ancient forests,” says Isaac Taylor, “is Hatch—a hitch-gate, Hêche in French.” He gives no example from Kent, but we know our Chartham Hatch, Ivy Hatch, and Mersham Hatch and Snoll Hatch. Wold or Weald, a wood, is not so common as one would expect, but we have Sibertswold and Wymynswold, and Waltham and Waldershare. Snœd is a Saxon word for a piece of wood in 8th century charters, and this survives in Hamersnoth near Romney, Nod Wall near Lydd, Frisnoth near Appledore, Sibersnode in the Hundred of Ham, Snode Hill, Snodehurst, Snodland, and Snodebeam, a manor in Yalding.

Some Common Saxon Elements in Place-Names.

—HAM = Ham means homestead, but—hamm an enclosure or bend in a river, the former being the more common. It is only by early Saxon documents that we can tell which word is meant. Alkham for the first, perhaps the Hundred of Ham for the latter.

—ING, in the middle or end of a name means “sons of.” A final ling is also a patronymic when the name ends in ol or ele. Thus Donnington is the settlement of the sons of Donna, and as Didling or Dudelyng in Sussex (with 13th century forms of Dedling and Dedlinge) was derived from Dyddeling as descendants of Dyddel, this may throw some light on Detling in Kent.

—MERE = lake, or gemæru boundary. Lakes are few in Kent, so Baddlesmere may indicate a boundary, while Mereworth (anciently Marewe) may indicate neither. Mearesflete in Thanet, and Mere, a manor in Rainham, may point to a personal name. Walmer is said to be named from the marshy ground behind the Wall, or old raised beach, which begins by Walmer Castle.

Brōc = a brook, as in the dialects of Kent and Sussex, also low-lying ground, not necessarily with running water. So Brook, and Brookland, and Kidbrook.

Burna = stream. So Bourne, Littlebourne, etc.

Cnoll = hillock (Cnol in Welsh and knöl in Swedish). So Knole, and perhaps Knockholt.

Cop = a top or head, German kopf. Our Copt Point.