P

Pandy (Dorstone).

W. pandy, 'a fulling mill'.

Panks Bridge (Cowarne).

Pant (Clodock).

W. pant, 'a hollow'.

Paradise (Ewyas Harold).

The name is found attached to small farms in other counties also. Baddeley thinks it originated in the 15th century, when crops were grown from 'Paradise-seed' imported from Morocco or Tripoli.

Parc-y-meirch (Crasswall).

W. 'Park of the horses'. Meirch is pl. of march',a horse'.

Parkhold (Pixley).

This would seem to have been an independent parish or chapelry; it is entered both in Tax. Eccles. and in Non. Inq. as Ecclesia de Park'. See also Court-o' -P ark.

Parkway (Ledbury).

A hamlet at the entrance to what was once the Bishop of Hereford's park. In Madley also there is a Parkway, which on the 1831 Ord. Map is curiously spelt Paraguay. There is a Parkgate in Titley, and a farm called Twoparks in Linton.

Parlbrook (Weston-Beggard).

Parsonscroft (Lyonshall).

Parton (Eardisley).

Patsall (Upper and Lower, Kimbolton).

Prob. Patta's hill'. The O.E. gen. ending -an (found in Kemble; Pattanden,` Patta's vale ') has become, in 13th century, -es, as often. Pateshall is a well-known surname in the county.

Paunton (Bishop's Frome).

Payshure Wood (Wigmore).

Paytoe (Leintwardine).

Pedwardine (Brampton Brian).

Peada's or Peda's farm'. For -wardine see Appendix. Cf. Padworth (Berks.).

Pember's Oak (Kington).

Pembridge.

Johnston thinks a hybrid, Welsh pen, 'head, height' + bridge, and compares Penbury (Glos.) which Baddeley takes as a hybrid, Welsh pen + O.E. byrig. One is, however, always inclined to disbelieve in hybrids, especially in place-names which date back to Dom. There is a Pembridge also in Welsh Newton. And in

Penalt (King's Caple).

Welsh pen-allt',cliff-head'. This is noteworthy as almost the only purely Welsh place- name on the English side of the Wye, below Hereford.

Penblaith (Long Grove).

W. pen-blaidd',wolf-point'. Blaidd is an element in several Welsh place-names, e.g. Cil- flaidd',wolf's lair'.

Pencombe.

Quod est membrum de Radenore'. W. 'head of the hollow'. For second element see Appendix, -combe.

Pencoyd.

Welsh pen-coed, 'head of the wood'. In Lib. Land. it is Cil Hal, ' salt-nook'.

Pencraig (Goodrich).

W. 'head of the rock'. There is a Penereck in Goodrich in 1722, probably the same place.

*Penebecdoc ['in fine Arcenefelde'].

J. H. R. cannot identify it. Eg. Phil. thinks it is either Pendigot (St Weonards) or Pennoxtone (King's Caple). Penerwy (Llanveyno). It may be Pen-erw, ` top of the acre', limit of the plough- land'. It lies at the base of the Black Mountain, which rises bare above.

*Penfilly [Leominster].

Given by Leland as the name of a stream which goes under a bridge at the west end of Leominster, and thrwghe the very howse of the priorye ' into the Lugg.

Pengethly (Hentland).

Welsh pen celli, 'head of the grove'. As usual the Welsh occasions difficulties in English spelling.

Pennant (Orcop).

Welsh 'head of the valley'.

Pennoxtone (King's Caple).

O.E. 'tun of...?'

Penny-pit (Llandinabo).

Evidently the corruption of some Welsh name, Pen-y-?

Penrose (St Weonards).

W. pen-rhos, 'head of the moor'. There is a Penrhos Court in Lyonshall.

Pentelow (brook).

Rises in Stoke Edith, and falls into the Wye at Mordiford.

Pentre.

W. pen-tre f',a village'. There is a Pentre in Bredwardine and one in Brilley. The latter has near it Pentre-coed, and Pentre-grove, and not far away Pentre-miley; still further, Pentre- jack (possibly the adjective iach,`healthy').

Pentwyn.

W. pen-twyn, 'head of the hill'. Found in Bacton, Brilley, Dorstone, and Walterstone.

Penyard.

W. pen-gardd',head of the enclosure'. Cf. Pennard (Soms.) which in 681 (Birch) is Pengerd. In Wales the word is found in the forms of Penardd, Penarth, and Peniarth.

Penydree (Clodock).

W. pen-y-dref, 'head of the village 'the Welsh equivalent of the Townsend so often found in Herefordshire.

Pen-y-Lan.

Probably height with the enclosure' rather than with the church'. But the second element may very possibly represent glan, which would give top of the bank' or ' pitch', as they always call it in Herefordshire. The name is given to at least six places in and near the Golden Valley, in Clodock, Kentchurch, Rowlstone, Peterchurch, and Dorstone. In this last parish there are two Pen-y-Lans within a mile and a half of one another. In Huntington-by-King-ton is Pen-lan.

Pen-y-moor (Dorstone).

Probably a corruption of Pen-mawr', big summit'.

Pen-y-Park.

W. 'Top of the Park'. The name is found both in Clifford and in Michaelchurch Eskley; Snodhill is about half-way between these places.

Pen-yr-hen-Ilan (Cusop).

Welsh, head pf the old church'. The Bennithan manor', somewhere in the neighbourhood in 1722, may be a corruption of this.

Pen-y-wrlod (Rowlstone).

So spelt now and in 1831.

Perry ditch (Ding's Pyon).

Near by in 1630 is ' Adam's Pyrry'.

Perrystone (Yatton).

The name seems to have come into use in the 18th century for the house and lands which were previously part of Snogsash.

Perth-y-Perton (Clodock).

Apparently W. perth-y-perten, `the thorn-bush of the smart little girl', a strange place-name. Perhaps perton is akin to parth', division', which would give the more plausible 'boundary thorn'.

Perton (Stoke Edith).

See Berrington.

Pervin (Hope-under-Dinmore).

It is in an English district, with no Welsh names. Yet the interchange of h and v seems to point to Welsh mutation.

Petchfield (Elton).

Peterchurch.

Peterstow.

For second element see Appendix, -stow.

Petty France (Ledbury, Clodock).

Probably the same in origin as Franche (Worcs.) which is Dom. Frenesse, i.e. O.Fr. fresne', ash-tree'.

Petty Holt (Harewood).

A mound: probably O.Fr. petite haute.

Pict's Cross (Sellack).

Obviously a corruption, since no Picts were ever in or near Herefordshire. But, in the absence of old forms, it is impossible to guess at the original meaning. It may be akin in origin to Pixley (q. v.).

Pikestye (Marden).

No old forms. The first element might possibly be O.E. piga', a little maid', which would give ' the maid's path ' as the meaning. Or it may be the pers. name Pic or Picc. Cf. Pixley.

Pinsley (brook, trib. of Lugg, near Leominster).

Once called Onny (q.v.).

Pipe (part of the parish of Pipe-and-Lyde).

It seems as if it must be O.E. pipe, ' a pipe'. A place called The Pipe, near Lichfield, is so called because the city water has for long been conveyed by pipe from there. But an explanation such as this could not apply to a Dom. name. Judge Cooke says the name Pipe is properly applied only to ' an elongated strip of land consisting of about 120 acres, through which quasi per pipam a stream known as the Pipe brook flows eastward to the Lugg'. The remainder of the parish is Lyde.

Pistelbrook Farm (Kentchurch).

The strange form Masepightle (land belonging to Dore) is, in view of the 1327 Charter, almost certainly Maes-y-Pistel.

Pixley.

' The meadow of Pic or Picc'. A holding in the parish is called The Piles. Cf. Pikestye, and perhaps Pict's Cross.

Plaistow (Ledbury).

Platch (Dulas).

In Shrops. Dom. Plesham is now Plaish. [1]Held by Simon de Clinton from the honour of Tewkesbury.

The Pleck (Monkland).

M.E. plecke, plek, ' a piece of ground'. The name was once common in some parts of the county. In Goodrich, e.g. in 1693, were ' The Whitchurch Plecks, the Boate Flecks, and The Long Pleck; in 1722 there is also Cutt Mill Fleck, and Gains Pleck; and in 1725 The Barge Pleck'. In Credenhill in 1722 was The Fleck. Flock is prob. a variant of Fleck. It is still found in Court Flocks (Allensmore) and Green Flock (Canon Pyon).

*Plegeliet [Dom. Hundred].

*Pletune [?].

Ploughfield (Peterchurch, Preston-on-Wye).

Preston-on-Wye1273 Burg-us de Ploufeld, Capes. Peterchurch1335 Plofelde, Ep. Reg.

Cf. Plowland (Yorks.), Plowden (Salop).

Pontenyws (Clodock).

W. ' Bridge of the island'.

Pont Hendre (Clodock).

W. 'Bridge of the permanent dwelling'. See Hendre.

Pontrilas.

[1]This is the only Dom. identification, with regard to which I have ventured to differ from Dr J. Horace Round, confessedly the supreme authority on 11th and 12th century subjects. He kindly writes me It is quite possible you are right, for you have local knowledge which I have not'. Although not appearing in any record until the 18th century, the name Pontrilas seems to have been given (first to the house, Pontrilas Court ') by the Baskervilles, who settled there circ. supersede Heliston ' or its corruptions. The pers. name involved in Elwis- or Helys- is possibly Elwyn, the Mercian form of Aelfwine.

Pontshill (Weston-under-Penyard).

Pont Vaen (Clifford).

W. ' stone bridge'.

Pont-y-Mwdy (Llanveyno).

W. ' bridge of arches'.

Pont-y-Pina (Vowchurch).

W. pont-y-pinau', bridge by the pine-trees'.

Pontys (Clodock).

W. pont-is, ' lower bridge'.

Poole Helleck or Hollock (Farm, Llanwarne).

The first word is W. pwll, ' a pool'; the second is W. heli g, `the willow'. Close to the house is still the spring on the hill- side, overshadowed by willows and alders.

Pool Springe (Much Birch).

So in 1671. There is a Pool Farm in Evesbatch, Blackpole in Eye, Pool Wharfe in Much Dewchurch, and Polemore in Withington. In 1275 (Ep. Reg.) La Pulle was somewhere in Lugg Meadow near Shelwick, and in 1722 Pool Dye Meadow is in Goodrich (apparently this last is Pwll dhu). In Withington is Poll Noddy.

Poplands (Whitbourne).

There is a Poplane in Goodrich in 1722, and a Crooked Popland's Sute in Hentland in 1638.

Poppinger (Ashperton).

No old forms. Possibly -hanger (for which see Clehonger and Hungerhill).

Portfield (Hereford).

In spite of plausible deductions from the entry in Glos. Cart. and Leland's reference to Gate, Port here is used in the sense in which it is found in Dom. ' In Hereford Port Walterus Epis- copus habet, etc'. Cf. Portmeadow (Oxford), the common field of the citizens'.

Portway.

Ancient tracts are so named in many counties, as leading to the chief town or port; it does not imply a Roman road. There is a Portway in Burghill (so in 1395), in Staunton, in Callow, and in Orleton. The earliest mention is in 1220 when land in Hadley is said to stretch usque viam regiam que vocatur portwey'. (This Partway is not now so called.)

Poston.

A Dore Charter (undated) mentions a Puscyton, which is probably Poston. Tun of -?' Eg. Phil. conjectures a Welsh pers. name Pasgweithen or P ascent, which often occurs in Lib. Land.

Poswick (Whitbourne).

Pound.

There are Pound Farms in Braley, Coddington, Holme Lacy, Laysters, Pound House in Yarpole, and the Pounds in Sollershope. O.E. pund, ' a fold', an enclosure'.

Powiswick (Wolferlow).

Presteign.

O.E. preost-maed, ' priest's meadow'. In Burghill in 1395 is a Prestesmedewe. Cf. Parsonscroft.

Preston-on-Wye.

O.E. preost-tun', priest's town'. Cf. Presteign. From before Dom. it has belonged to the Canons of Hereford. They are patrons also of Preston Wynne, held temp. Ed. I and Ed. III by the family of le Wyne.

Priddleton (Humber).

Various entries in Leom. Cart. almost certainly refer to Priddleton:- Purlinton, Purtliton, Purtlint, Purtlynton West.

Pridewood (Ashperton).

The Prill (Ewyas Harold).

A phonetic variation of O.E. pine, purl, found only in Worcs., Salop, Herefs., Radnors., and Glos., ' a small stream of running water'.

Prothithor or Prethegar (Little Dewchurch).

Pudding Street (Rowlestone).

Pudleston.

The Dom. form has for its first element, apparently, O.E. pil, ' a pile', stake', unless it be W. pill, which is unlikely. The 1243 form undoubtedly is O.E. pucel-dun, ` goblin's-hill'. Cf. Pukedich (Leom. Cart.); ' via vocata Pouklone' in Tillington (Ep. Reg. 1395); and Puck Holes Close in Credenhill in 1722. The other forms all have for first element Pudle or Piddle, which is M.E. podel, apparently a dim. of O.E. pudd, ' a ditch', ' furrow ' (` puddas ' is in Prud. Glossary', sulcos '). The suggestion that we might assume a personal name Pydela, dim. of the common Pida or Pyda is unlikely; a pers. name is not expected with -dun, as we do usually expect it with -tun. In the second element, there was in course of time the not infrequent confusion between -dun, -den, and -tun, but -dun, ' a hill' is the oldest, and most persistent form. There is a Puddle Hill in Pencombe.

Pullaston (Aconbury).

Putley.

Putta's meadow'. But the second element in the Dom. form suggests O.E. hlype, leap'. W. H. Stevenson says hlyp must sometimes mean enclosure', and illustrates Lypiatt (Glos.) or Lypgate', gate into the enclosure'.

Putson (Hereford).

' Tun of Putta'. A Putta was the first known Bishop of Hereford, A.D. 676-688.

Pwll Cam (Dorstone).

W. crooked pool'.

Pyon (King's, and Canon).

Judge Cooke says the Dom. form Peune is Welsh Pen, with reference to the isolated conical-shaped formation of con- glomerate cornstone within its parochial limits'. This may be correct, since the Anglo-Saxon Chron. mentions Peonna juxta Gillingaham, which has been identified as Pen (Soms.). The local pronunciation was (and with old people still some- times is) Pyoun. Return to top of page
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