Major Ford Place-names.

Major place-names are the names of parishes or of Domesday manors. These 19 sites were first visited during the summer of 2000. The present topography of the landscape was observed and photographs taken. Other information was obtained from various sources and included in these descriptions. Much of the information was obtained from the first volume on the Place-Names of Shropshire, obtainable from the English Place Names Society.

1. Ashford Bowdler SO 520 711. Derivation: Ash-tree ford.
2. Ashford Carbonell. SO 520 711. Derivation: Ash-tree ford.
The two parishes of Ashford Bowdler and Ashford Carbonell lie on either side of the River Teme. The ford was replaced by a bridge designed by Thomas Telford and built in 1797.

3. Besford SJ 551 250. Derivation: Betti’s ford. It was a Domesday Manor, but is now a small hamlet.

4. Burford. SO 583 680. Derivation: burh ford meaning fortified-ford or defended crossing of the river. It is an ancient parish. Burford is one of a series of fort names along the River Teme.

5. Clungunford. SO 394 787. Derivation: It was a Domesday manor (called Clone) and took its name (Clun Gunward) from the previous holder, Gunward. Later the name was corrupted from Gunward into gun-ford.

6. Forton. SJ 431 161. Derivation: ford-tun. This was a Domesday Manor which took its name from the crossing of the river Severn at Montford.

7. Halford SJ 436 834. Derivation: halh ford, it may refer to a ford crossing the river in the loop of a meander. It is a civil parish.

8. Higford. SJ 754 007. Derivation: Hugga’s ford. It was a Domesday manor.

9. Hopton Cangeford. SO 548 804. Derivation: This was not originally a -ford name, but was called after the Cangefot family. The name was later corrupted to Cange-ford. It is an ancient parish.

10. Longford by Newport. SJ 726 184. Derivation: long-ford frequently refers to a causeway rather than a ford. The footpath from Longford to Edgmond crosses the Strine Brook. It was an ancient parish, but the church is now a private residence.

11. Ludford. SO 513 741. Derivation: hlude-ford. hlude meant “loud” and referred to the noise made by the River Teme. It is an ancient parish.

12. Montford. SJ 419 148. Derivation: The spelling used in Domesday was “Maneford” and this suggests it may have been derived from the Old English word gemane, meaning ford where people gather. It is an ancient parish.

13. Pitchford. SJ 528 043. Derivation: pitch-ford. The village takes its name from the pitch well, near a crossing of the Rea Brook. It is an ancient parish.

14. Quatford. SO 739 908. Derivation: ford in the district of cwat, but the meaning of “cwat” is unknown. It is an ancient parish.

15. Sandford by Prees. SJ 583 340. Derivation: sand-ford (probably pebbles rather than sand in this case). It was a Domesday Manor.

16. Tugford SO 557 870. Derivation: Tucga’s ford. It is an ancient parish.

17. Walford SJ 435 206. Derivation: ford by the spring from the West Midlands form waella meaning spring. It was a Domesday Manor.

18. Great Wytheford SJ 569 188.
19. Little Wytheford SJ 569 188.
Derivation: withig-ford meaning willow ford. They were Domesday Manors.

Page maintained by Susan Laflin. Last updated March 2009.