BLISWORTH FIELD NAMES - 1820 and 1935 MAPS

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 Field names can change in the course of one generation of farmers but in Blisworth Parish the existence of D. of Grafton as single owner from 1680 to 1919 would have maintained constant many names.  The 1935 names collected by Mona Clinch and mapped for her book show a large number of what are likely to be personal names.  Names written in bold carry greater historical interest or curiosity value.  Note the derivation of Pynus for the Pynus Cottages which was unearthed in 2010 with the help of data from Tiffield now being put on-line.
Name Info. or an earlier name Explanation Location Ref.
Bankey Close Breach obscure 1820, dead flat fields next to Stoke Road. 1935 name used north of railway.  
Barn Close Barn Close many buildings on it just south of "Stone Works" quarry  
Bevans Close Russets prob. let to mining Bevans family off Northampton Road  
Boat Stable Close earlier was Sale Piece referring to the horse stable from 1805 at the top of the tunnel  mouth pathway the nearby field on the other side of Stoke Road  
Boundary Field ?   on Roade parish boundary off Knock Lane.  
Breach Close   broken up for cultivation north of railway, by first ped. bridge C, 205
Briary Ring, Bryerly Close Top Close prone to grow briars, 'ring' is obscure off Nunn lane  
Broad Riding   clearing Plain Wood  
Berry Hill Berry Hill (1795)
Bury (1820)*
Berry (1935)*		 containing burials (possibly the second round of Black Death). A low tumulus in 1960, noticeable tumulus in 1849 (Wetton's Guide) - now ploughed out. * By 1820 the names had "crossed" the Stoke Road.  
Bush Close part of Buttmead neglected? by C'Hall Road near Milton parish boundary  
Butt Mead But Mead good land, but = a boundary strip by C'Hall Road near Milton parish boundary C, 205
Carters rectorial land post-1919 name of owner? off Npton Rd, near Milton parish boundary  
Church Headland glebe land Top field of a group of glebeland fields off Saltway nr. Towcester Road  
Clift Hill   corruption of Cliff Hill, a prominent slope. high field next to Npton Road  
Cockley Furlong   woodcocks frequented this field? Plain Wood  
Cockshot, Cock Shate   a glade crossed with nets to harvest woodcocks next to the bottom end of Knock Lane
(another example? - near Nunn Wood)		 C, 205
Connegar Leys   a clearing for rabbits, either holding or reaping feed for them. the present allotment field  
Cortenhall Field   Courteenhall field next to the road to C.  
Cosleton   obscure a field adjoining allotments  
Cow House Close   obscure because no known building was there off Gayton Road  
Crabtree   lined with crab apple trees behind Rectory Cottages  
Cunnigar   see Connegar adjoining field to allotments!  
Dane Hedge Close Green Way Close Dan? - obscure behind Lodge farm  
Dingley   presumably attractively wooded, a glade, neglected. behind Rectory Cottages C,189
Driftway   part of clearing, no stream nearby, so name is arbitrary? alongside a riding in Plain Woods  
First Gully   first of series of fields adjacent to stream along the stream, Pynus to Nunn Lane  
First Plain   first field cleared from woods Plain wood  
Fish Weir Fish Ware
Lately called Fisher Close.		 this field was flooded as a fish pool prior to c1650 first field off stoke Road  
Ford Lane Close   the first field accessed using Ford Lane, over the mill stream now Station Road.  
Further Nailors Nailor nailor - farmer's name before 1740 because the name is not listed in Grafton rent records. Set of Nailor fields east of Nunn Wood  
Ginge Wood Close   obscure, Ekwall relates the name to that of Gayton offering a personal name  or the idea of penalty (Viking?).  Perhaps corruption of ginger wood opposite Blisworth Hill Farm E, 196
Goldburns Plough Close   obscure - an occupant of Blisworth House prob. responsible for the name. cleared on Plain Wood, horse paddock?  
Great Wood Close     Plain Wood  
Green Way Close   referring to a green way - ie. Courteenhall Road c 1750 off Courteenhall Road  
Gunnock Stile was un-named Glebe Land in 1820 therefore suggest good place for shooting rabbits? adjacent to canal embankment  
Henwood Field   a wood assoc. with a household, hen=hewan. Ekwall suggests a nunnery! A medieval part of an extended Nuns Wood, probably assoc. with the priory. In Easton parish bordering Nunn Lane. E, 235
Hill Close   sloped enclosure off Gayton Road  
Honey Moor Hill   good land fed by a stream behind Rectory cottages, good land until the ironstone diggers arrived  
Kingston Close   a Shutlanger farmer's name near to Nuns Wood  
Kinnell Hole Close   obscure behind Lodge Farm  
Ladyfield Lords Field Close field that profits the church but in this case v. unlikely, hence perhaps a word game by the farmer - Hereward Wake. on the approach to the Stone Works Quarry  
Lambourn Close   place where lambs are washed field to north of stream called Fisher Brook aka. Washbrook by Nunn lane. E, 284
Limekiln Close Limekiln Close 16th and 17th century limestone burning off Courteenhall Road, near quarry  
Long Stocking   a long field from a wood cleared of stumps off Northampton Road C, 206
Long Close part of Warrens   off Gayton Road  
Long Dicksey rectorial land dicksey v. prob. a farmer off Towcester Road  
Lords Field   fields cleared by Duke of Grafton near "Stone works" quarry  
Lowne Field, Lownes, Loundes   Old Norse = glade, grove fields behind Blisworth Park C, 187
Madcombe   prob. meadow combe.  Combe = hollow behind Rectory cottages, good land until the ironstone diggers arrived C, 181
Mead Close   good land, meadow off Nunn Lane C, 205
Middle Close     in Plain Wood  
Middle Nailor Close    nailor - see Further Nailors    
Mill Close     near the water mill, ie. off Gayton Rd.  
Milton Close     adjacent to Milton Malsor parish  
Nine Ley Hedge   obscure near Blisworth Arm  
Nun Lane Close     alongside Nunn Lane which lately has acquired the name up fisher.  
Nuns Wood   owned by the priory at Sewardsley in Easton parish Nuns Wood is in Easton parish. The 1935 map shows it, unnamed, as though annexed by Blisworth - despite no known record of an annexation since 1919 when sale catalogue was out.  
Old Brick Field common land brief extraction of clay for bricks in 19th C next to Candle Bridge  
Over Slack   Slack or Slade, O. Norse shallow valley alongside Towcester Road C, 182
Plain Close     in Plain Wood  
Ploughed Lane Close   Close that has been ploughed next to Gayton Rd. aka. Gayton Lane  
Ponk Bank Leys   sometime before 1729, fields cleared and regained after draining the millpond alongside the canal, behind High Street.  
Pynus (1). named Pyesnest, Tiffield Parish. A field with tall hedges or tall scrub that magpies will nest in. Name is a contraction via "Pyness" in 1727. off Towcester Road, along with Wolfey, was once in Tiffield Parish before 1690. Tiffield is known by some as Tiffle.  
(2). Pines A group of pines at a cross, in this case on the Saltway, could indicate a rest for drovers. There was a 1718 reference to old buildings here in Bridges' account for Tiffield. . .  and, on the 1727 mapping there is a small trapezoidal field that accom. the 19C terrace but might have been a building site before that.  
Ramwell Spinney   Spinney = scrub, name of a prominent spring. next to The Park  
Riding Close   ridings were primarily clearings in woods - a riddance of scrub Plain Wood C, 206
Right All Close subsumed into The Warrens good land? off Gayton Road  
Russells Piece was un-named Glebe Land in 1820 farmer's name? off Towcester Road  
Russets part of Long Stocking probably an apple orchard off Northampton Road  
Sale Piece   a division of a wood for cutting for sale. Plain Wood  
Saltway Furlong North of Towcester Rd near parish field Common land track mistaken for the Saltway c1727    
Sand Pit Close     nr. Milton Malsor  
Second Gully   see First Gully    
Stockwell   = stock well, a watering patch/spring nr. the station  
Shilley Ley glebe land shelley - a boundary strip but does not seem appropriate. off Towcester Road C, 189
Six Acre   farmer's shorthand! eg. between Nunn lane and Stoke Road  
Slat Pitt Furlong   encompasses an ancient limestone pit. Stones easily riven into slates? Next to Glebe Farm  
Stone Close subsumed into Nunn Lane Piece either stony or once housed a pit. off Nunn Lane, and in two other locations  
Stone Pit Close   see above numerous  
Stoshill Close subsumed into The Warrens obscure off Gayton Road  
Summer Close   cultivation easy only in summer?  The name winter is used in the same way. off Stoke Road  
Thorney Close   blackthorn or briar infested? off Nunn Lane  
Three Corner Close   this field was equi-triangular off Gayton Road, behind Hill Farm  
Top Close   a wide array of adjectives add a minimum of "colour" to the common Close. near Blisworth Arm  
Top Spinney Close   rough patch next to Nailors  
Twelve Acre   see Six!    
Warrens Contiguous with same in Gayton set aside for rabbit breeding probably using the pillow method. 1935 naming but recalling an old name. off Gayton Road  
Well Spring Close   encompassing a prominent spring. just west of High St.  
West Bridge Hill Close   bridge over stream/canal Towcester Road  
West Close     west of Blisworth Hill Farm  
Winacre   good land? next to Station Road  
Windmill Close   large field with windmill disused by c1850. adjacent to Cliff Hill and C'Hall Rd  
Wolfey, Wolsey Oxhay, Tiffield Parish 1690 (hay = hedge or boundary) Wolsey is obscure (wolfey may be scripting error; s = f ) off Towcester Road (see Pynus)  
Wood Close     a close next to Tiffield Wood  

References:  C = Cameron, "English Place Names", 1963.  E = Ekwall, "Concise Oxford Dict. of English Place-names", 4th Ed., 1959