English place-names containing seven and nine

Many books on English place-names make the comment that the names Seven Springs and Nine Wells are common, but do not provide the evidence to back up this claim. I aim to collect such evidence here. The main questions I am interested in are:

• How old are these formations?
• Why are 7 and 9 preferred over other numerals?
• Do similar names occur in other countries? (I know of Siebenbrünnen in Germany (three examples, Förstemann Ortsnamen ii, 712), Septfontaines in Luxembourg, and Sjukällan and Sju Källor in Sweden.)

Interesting 'seven' names in charters

(7 acres, 7 hides etc. not listed.)

• S99: AD 743 for 737x740. Æthelbald to Osred; land grant: on Buruhford on foron þa spelstowe þonan on Turcandene on Seofenwyllas middeweardan of þam wyllan to Balesbeorge. A lost site near Turkdean.
• S444: AD 938. Athelstan to Old Minster, Winchester; land grant: of earnes beorge on syfan wyllan . of syfan wyllan on hafeces del . Thought to refer to Sevington, Hants.
• S595; AD 956. Eadwig to Ælfwine; land grant: to seofan þornum. A site in Milton, Berks.
• S860: AD 985. Æthelred to Wulfrun; land grant: ðanon ongean stream of seofan wyllan broc. Thought to refer to Showell, Wolverhampton.
• S694: AD 961. Edgar to the church of St Peter, Bath; land grant: Andlang broces ongean stream on þa westran seofon wyllas. A lost site near South Stoke, Somerset.
• S737: AD 966. Edgar to Ælfgifu; land grant: of þanne hlawe 7lang stræte to seofan hlawan, of seofan hlawan to þan anum hlawe. A lost site near Linslade, Bucks.
• S784: AD 972. Edgar to Ælfflæd; land grant: of þam ellenne on seofon beorgas . of seofon beorgas innan colta beorg. A lost site near Kennett, Wilts.
• S979: AD c.1023x1032. Cnut to Æthelwine, and the brethren of Athelney; land grant: in loco qui uulgariter dicitur Seofenempton famossisimae familiae. Refers to Seavington, Somerset.
• S999: AD 1043. King Edward to Ælfstan; land grant: Carta regis Edwardi de Seuenhantune. ... mansas ubi dicitur æt Seofonhæmtune libens donabo. Refers to Sevington in Leigh Delamere, Wilts. ST 869 788

seven springs

name	location	grid ref	reference	notes
Sewell	Houghton Regis, Beds	SP995229	Smith; Ekwall; BdHu:129	Sewelle DB. On slope overlooking tributary of Ouzel
Showell(s)	Oxfordshire			several instances - see below
Showell Farm	Wilts	ST908709	OS	?
Showell Grange	Telford	SJ722248	OS	? - Showell's Mill, Edgmond Parish Register 1749
Showells	Welford, Berks.	SU414720	Bks:274
Sywell	Northants	SP825675	Nth:139	see below
Seawell	Blakesley, Northants.	SP630525	see below
Seawell Cottages	Northants	?	RSN	"also called Seven Springs" - same as previous?
Seven Wells (f.n.)	Apethorpe, Northants	TL025955	Nth:40	where is it exactly? - there are springs here
Seven Wells Farm	Stoke Doyle, Northants	TL022862	Nth:40	Sevenwells Spring on modern map - note pub Shuckburgh Arms
Seven Wells	Barnwell, Northants	TL050848?	RSN	where is it?
Seven Springs	Sulgrave, Northants	SP556448?	RSN	where is it?
Sewell's Pond	Fawsley, Northants.		Nth:23 - cf. Sewellmede 1333, Seywell 1791
Sowell (Farm)	Devon	ST072101	D:565	see below
Seven Springs	Cannock Chase, Staffs.	SK032147	Horovitz p. 482-3
Seven Springs	Staffs.	SK004206	Horovitz p. 482-3
Seven Springs	Staffs.	SK006180	Horovitz p. 482-3
Showell(s)	Staffs.	SJ9201	Horovitz p. 492	seofan wyllan (broc) 985 (12C)
Showell Bank	Springhill, Staffs.	SO8795	Horovitz p. 492
Sewalmedowe	Barton-under-Needwood	SK185185	Horovitz p. 492	1415 and 1494 - beware personal name Sæwald
The Seven Wells	Old Winchester Hill, Hants	SU646204	OS	so in 1872 (OS map)
Sevington	Tichborne, Hants	SU574296	Ekwall	syfan wyllan 938, BCS 731; OS 1872 457951,129369
Seven Wells	Over Stowey, Sedgemoor; Somerset	ST17793740	ADS
Seven Wells Down	Corton Denham, Somerset	ST645218	OS	source of River Yeo
Seven Wells Wood	Adscombe, Somerset	ST173377	OS
Seven Wells	Campden Ashes, Gloucs	SP119346	OS
Seven Springs	Gloucs.		several instances - see below
Seven Wells	Gloucs.		several instances - see below
S[i|y]nwell	Wotton under Edge, Gloucs.	ST765933	1777 Gl:2.258. See below.
Seven Wells	Gwryhd, Powys	SO070847	OS
Seven Springs	Danebank, Cheshire	SJ986841	OS
Sevewelles, Sewelles	Cambs	?	PN Cambs p. 351	1250. Where is this?
Sywelle	Cambs	?	PN Cambs p. 351	1395. Where is this?
Sewell	Wilts	?	PN Cambs p. 351	"PN Wilts 94, 107-8". Does this exist, or is it the Beds. one?
Setfontaynes	Essex	?	PN Essex p. 598	so in 1307
Seuewelledale	Derbyshire	?	Derbys. Arch. Soc. xxii, 24, cited in Nth:139	where is it?

seven trees

name	location	grid ref	reference	notes
Seven Ash	West Bagborough; Taunton Deane; Somerset	ST15413329	ADS
Seven Ashes	Staffs.	?SJ9535	Horovitz p. 482	7 asshes 1577
Sevenash	Devon	ST155335	Smith	or Seven Ash (OS)
Seabatch	Sussex	?	Smith	'Seven beeches', OE béce. Is this Seabeach SU 926 098?
Sevenoaks	Kent	TQ525555	Ekwall	Sevenac 1200
Seven Sisters	Tottenham, Middx.	?	PN Middx. p. 79	from seven elms: 7 Sesters 1754

seven hills

name	location	grid ref	reference	notes
Seven Lows	Delamere; Vale Royal; Cheshire	SJ56336703	ADS
Seven Barrows	Eastleach; Cotswold; Gloucestershire	SP18740854	ADS
Seven Barrows	Lambourn; West Berkshire; Berkshire	SU328828	ADS
Seven Barrows	Burghclere; Basingstoke And Deane; Hampshire	SU4655	ADS
Seven Barrows	Oakley; Basingstoke And Deane; Hampshire	SU59405015	ADS
Seaborough	Devon	ST425069	Smith	'Seven barrows', OE beorg
Seaborough	Dorset	?	PN Dorset 303	Seveberge DB
Seaborough	Mucking, Essex	?	PN Essex 164	more likely personal name Seofa?
Sewborwens	Cumberland	?	Smith; Signposts p. 141	'Seven burials', OE burgaesn
Seven Barrows Farm	Wareham St Martin; Purbeck; Dorset	SY9188	ADS
Seven Hills Barrow Group	Little Livermere; St Edmundsbury; Suffolk	TL8673	ADS
Seven Hills	Brettenham; Breckland; Norfolk	TL9081	ADS
Seven Hills	Foxhall; Suffolk	TM22454115	ADS
Seven Hills	Trimley St Martin; Suffolk	TM2539	ADS
Seven Mounds	St Cuthbert Out; Mendip; Somerset	ST568499	ADS
Hallsenna	Cumberland	?	Smith	'Seven hills', OE haugr

seven other things

name	location	grid ref	reference	notes
Soussons	Devon	SX680790	Smith	'Seven stones', OE stán
Sevenhampton	Gloucestershire	SP034216	Ekwall	uncertain
Sevenhampton	Swindon	SU209903	OS	?
Sevington	Worcestershire	?	Ekwall	uncertain - is this an error for Wilts ST 869 788?
Seven Farms	Essex	?	PN Essex p. 411	really "forms"
Seven Kings	Essex	?	PN Essex p. 99	uncertain (but old - Sevekyngg(es) 1285)
Seven Star Green	Essex	TL935256	PN Essex p. 386
Seven Dials	St. Giles-in-the-fields, Middx.	?	PN Middx. p. 116	(les) Seven Dials 1707
River Seaton	Cornwall	?	ERN	very uncertain. Celtic '7'???

Bartholemew's Survey Gazetteer of the British Isles (1904) contains additionally these names (as well as some Scottish and Irish examples): Seven Tors, Devon; Seven Oaks, Cheshire 4m NW of Northwich; Seven Wells, Quantocks, Somerset.

Sowell (Farm), Devon ST 072 101 D:565

• Souewella 1223
• Seuewell 1244
• Seuewyll 1329
• Souewille 1333
• Sowyll 1498

Showell, Oxfordshire (several instances)

1. Showell Farm, Little Tew SP 358 291 Ox:291
   • Sevewelle 1086
   • Sivewelle 1086
   • Sefewella c.1154-63
   • Seuelle 1207
   • Sewelle 1241-64
   • Swelles 1252
   • Sowelle 1278-9
   • Showel early 18th
2. Showell Covert, Steeple Barton SP 451 255 Ox:249 (on same river (Dorn?) as previous), not on modern OS map.
   • Seuelle 1210
   • Seuewellestlade 1210-40
   • Sewelle late 13th
   Note also Seven Springs House, Steeple Aston SP 472 255 (not on 1884-5 OS map).
3. Showells Farm, Crawley SP 342 134 (source of stream affluent to R. Windrush)
4. Showells Spring, Crawley Ox:314.
   • Showel Spring1822
5. Showels (f.n., Wheatley) Ox:194. No early forms, but see next.
6. Short Shouell Furlong 17th (f.n., Wheatley) Ox:194 (same as previous? Referred to shovelbrede - if correct, unrelated to '7'.)
7. Showels Mead (f.n., Aston Bampton) Ox:465
8. Seven Springs (f.n., Swinbrook, near South Lawn) Ox:291 SP 285 145 on Modern OS map and 1885 OS map
• Sunbroc 1146
• Simbroc
• Swenbroc etc.

Seven Wells or Springs, Gloucestershire (several instances)

1. Seven Springs, Coberley (source of the Churn) SO 968 169 Gl:1.153
   • Seven Wells Head 1760
   • Seven wells 1777
2. Seven Springs, Dodington ST 751 799 Gl:3.48
3. Seven Springs, Eastington 1830 Gl:1.172 SP 130 131
4. Seven Wells, Naunton Gl:1.200 SP 115 234
5. Seven Wells (ground), Upper Slaughter 1847 Gl:1.209 SP 155 232. Exact location?
6. S[i|y]nwell, Wotton under Edge, Gloucestershire ST 765 933 Gl:2.258
   • Suuen well' 1248
   • Synwel' 1248
   • Sinwell 1541
   • Synwell 1541
   • Sunwell 1624

Seawell, Blakesley, Northamptonshire SP 630 525 Nth:40

• Sewell(e) 1086
• Sewewell 12th
• Seuewell 1220-35-42
• Seywell Close, Seawell Coppice 1681
• Se(y)well 1761
• Seywell 1930

On a hill, near a minor tributary of R. Tove. Caswell near.

Sywell, Northamptonshire SP 825 675 Nth:139

• Snewelle 1086
• Siwell(a) 1086
• Seywell 1287

Near source of a tributary of R. Nene. Airfield.

Sevenhampton

1. Gloucestershire SP 033 214
   • Sevenhamton(e) 1086
   • Se[u|v]enhampton(e) 1248-1698
   • Seuehamton 1221
   • Sevehamton 1241
   • Seves-, Sevezhampton 1327
   • Sevanton 1437
   • Sevanton (-als. Sen{n)yngton) 1575
   • Semynton 1577
   • Seynhampton 1604
   Nearby at SP 024 217 is the abandoned village of Sennington which must have the same name.
2. Worcestershire Wo:107
3. Wiltshire SU 205 906 W:27,107

Meaning uncertain. See Wo:35 and W:107.

Seavington

1. Somerset ST 405 147.
• Seofenempton c. 1025

Interesting 'nine' names in charters

There are none.

nine wells

name	location	grid ref	reference	notes
Nine Well Close	Herts	?	PN Herts p. 284	"Nynewells t. Hy 8, Court Rolls."
Nine Wells	Gt. Shelford, Cambs	TL462542	PN Cambs p. 88	"the Nine Wells 1575" - picture below
Great Nine Wells	Thriplow, Cambs	TL452473	PN Cambs p. 90	"so c. 1825"
Little Nine Wells	Whittlesford, Cambs	TL452473	PN Cambs p. 98	"so c. 1825"
Nine Wells	Pembrokeshire	SM788248	OS
Ninewells	Joyford, Gloucs.	SO582129	OS
Ninewells	Dundee	NO357304	OS
Ninewells	Chepstow	SO519028	OS
Ninewells	Perth & Kinross	NO075436	OS
Nine Wells	Westmoreland	?	PN We:2.116	1859; on Knock Fell
Nine-wells	Cumbria	?	PN Cu:69	field-name "the Well or Fountain call'd the Nine-wells" 1704
Ninewell Heads	Northumberland	?	Beckensall p.66	f.n. 1580-1630
Nine Springs	Yeovil	?	Wade
Nine Wells	Oathlaw; Angus	NO509558	ADS
Nine Maiden's Well	Glamis; Angus	NO384472	ADS
Nine Wells	Newburgh; Fife	NO224171	ADS
Ninewells Farm	Newburgh; Fife	NO224169	OS
Nine Wells	Lesceave Cliff; Breage; Kerrier; Cornwall	SW59572653	ADS
Ninewells	Chirnside	NT869561	ADS
Ninewells Farm	Caputh; Perth And Kinross	NO076434	ADS
Ninewells	Brampton; Carlisle; Cumbria	NY50896161	ADS
Nine Springs Farm	Shropshire	SO596768	ADS

nine trees

name	location	grid ref	reference	notes
Nine Ashes	Herts	?	PN Herts p. 193	"so in 1728"
Nine Ashes	High Ongar, Essex	?	PN Essex p. 75	"Nine Ash 1768"
Nine Elms	Swindon	SU112858	OS
Nine Elms	Lambeth	?

nine hills

name	location	grid ref	reference	notes
Highley Hill	Herts	?	Smith; PN Herts p. 153	Nylowe 1313; 'Nine Hills', OE hláw
Nine Barrow Down	Dorset	SZ0081	Watts
Nine Standards Rigg	Cumbria	?	Watts
Nine Barrows	Somerset	?	Wade	"to find which take the Wells road"
Nine Barrow Down	Whitecliff Farm & Ballard Down; Swanage; Purbeck; Dorset	SZ02738123	ADS
Priddy Nine Barrows	Chewton Mendip; Mendip; Somerset	ST53865174	ADS

nine other things

name	location	grid ref	reference	notes
Nine Acre Wood	Essendon, Herts	?	Smith; PN Herts p. 225	"Cf. Nynacres 1360"
Ninebanks	Northumberland	?	Smith; Ekwall	Ekwall: Ninebenkes 1228
Noonstones	Cumberland	?	Smith
Nynehead	Somerset	?	Smith	OE híd
Stowe Nine Churches	Northants	SP639577	Smith

Bartholemew's Survey Gazetteer of the British Isles (1904) contains additionally these names (as well as some Scottish and Irish examples): Nine Ladies, Derbyshire; Nine Maidens, Cornwall; Nine Mile Water (river), Hants; Nine Stones, Devon.

abbreviations and references

• OS: on modern Ordnance Survey map
• PN: volumes of the English Place-Name Society
• ADS: Archaeology Data Service
• RSN: The River System of Northamptonshire, Pt 1, Springs, by Beeby Thompson (Journal of Northants Nat. Hist. Soc. Vols XVIII, XIX), cited in PN Surrey page xliv
• A H Smith: English place-name elements, 1956
• M Gelling: Signposts to the past, 1978
• E Ekwall: Concise Oxford dictionary of English place-names
• E Ekwall: English river-names, 1928
• V Watts: The Cambridge dictionary of English place-names, 2004
• Beckensall: Northumberland Field Names, n.d.
• D Horovitz: The Place-Names of Staffordshire, 2005
• Wade: Somerset: G.W. Wade and J.H. Wade, Methuen n.d. (before 1941?)

acknowledgements