Field Name | Location | Derivation |
Cradley Upper /Over (Woe) Field | Oldnall Road, Foxcote Lane, Parish Boundary | Part of the medieval open field system. Woe (or Woo) derives from the Old English 'woh' = crooked |
Cradley Lower/Nether (Woe) Field | Foxcote Lane,Two Gates, Lutley Gutter | Earliest reference to Nether Woefield is in an indenture between the Earl of Ormond and Thomas Parkes of Cradley, dated 1510. |
Colman Field | Two Gates, Drews Holloway, Colman Hill | Part of the medieval open field system. |
Burfield | Colley Lane,Slade Road | Part of the medieval open field system. Burr = Flower head with hooks and prickles. Or OE = store house or cottage |
Hitherbrook Furlong | In Nether Woe Field | Furlong = the length of furrow that the plough took before the oxen had to stop, theoretically a square of 10 acres. From the 9th century this was standardised at 220 yards. The term was also applied to a rectangular block of parallel strips within an open field, each block identified by name. |
The Great Furlong | In Colman Field | |
Long Furlong | In Over Woe Field | |
Farbrook Furlong | In Nether Woe Field | |
Big Furlong | Highfield Estate, Furlong Lane | |
Little Furlong | In Colman Field | |
Match Furlong | In Nether Woe Field | |
Lutlee Gutter Furlong | In Nether Woe Field | |
Shutlands (Strutlands) | Talbot Street,Furlong Lane | Blocks of strips within the open field. |
Upper/Lower Doles Crooked Doles | Homer Hill In Nether Woe Field | Common meadow and hay land allocated to the tenants of open fields. OE dal = shared |
Ninelands | Slade Road,Homer Hill | Nine strips of land within the open field. |
The Butts Headland | In Nether Woe Field | Headlands of the open field system which often formed winding routes between fields. As these fields were held in common, they were gradually established as rights of way. |
Field Name | Location | Derivation |
The Meres | Both sides of Foxcote Lane | OE maere = boundary land |
Skirts/Smock Skirts | In Over Woe Field | Smock = Land on which the rendering of tithe wood was replaced by the payment of money |
Far Piece | Near the boundary at The Hayes | |
Far Inhedge | In Over Woe Field |
Field Name | Location | Derivation |
Dogtree Acre Furlong | In Nether Woe Field | Acre was originally used to signify a piece of land cleared for ploughing or grazing of no fixed size. Later it became defined as a strip of an open field sufficiently large to be ploughed by a yoke of oxen in a day. |
Big Inhedge | In Over Woe Field | |
Pingle | Numerous places | ME pingel = a small piece of land |
Pleck | Numerous places | ME plek = a small plot of land. |
Middle Meadow | Mogul Lane | |
Over Sling | Highfield | Land beyond the Sling |
First, Middle and Far Smithy Croft | Lyde Green, Maypole Hill | Land near a forge (in this case Cradley Forge) |
Field Name | Location | Derivation |
Round Innage (or Inhedge) | Oldnall | Innage = land taken in and enclosed |
Long Innage | 2 Fields bear this name, one in Over Woefield, the other between Park Road and Homer Hill | |
Broad Innage | In Over Woefield | |
Long Meadow | Netherend | |
Sling | Numerous places | ME sling = small narrow strip of land |
Three cornered close | Barrack Lane/Park Road | |
Roundabout | Park Lane Church | A piece of land surrounded by roads |
Field Name | Location | Derivation |
The Rough | Near Cradley Forge | |
Stone Piece/Stoney Close | Between Maypole Hill and Mogul Lane,next to the Stour | Stony soil |
Dirty Piece | Toys Lane/Windmill Hill | Muddy land |
Copy Marling | Between Park Lane & boundary | Coppice where marl was spread or dug |
Marl Pit Bank Marl Pit Inhedge Marl Pit Hill | The area bounded by Toys Lane,Windmill Hill and Two Gates Lane. | Practise of spreading marl and manure on fields was of prehistoric origin. Marl was a mixture of clay and lime used by Romans to improve fertility of acidic soil. Marl pits were dug by Saxons and then continued from Mediaeval period |
Paradise | Two Gates | Fertile, profitable soil. |
Field Name | Location | Derivation |
Slade Piece | Colley Lane school field/Slade Road | Dell, hollow, basin on side of hill, side valley OE slaed = valley |
Hilly Leasow | Homer Hill | Pasture, enclosed land on a hill, difficult to plough. |
The Hill | Homer Hill | |
Hollow Meadow | Homer Hill | |
Bank Leys | Homer Hill | ME banke = Slope or embankment |
The Moors | Oldnall | OE mor = uncultivated land. Not just upland, but fen and marsh. |
Hays Dingle | At parish boundary in the vicinity of James Scott Road | ME dingle = A deep hollow. OE gehaeg = Hedges |
The Folly | 2 areas bear this name. First on either side of Oldnall Road near the junction with Foxcote Lane,the second is between Maypole Hill and Mogul Lane,known as Folly Moor | Shelter for travellers in inhospitable landscapes on ancient route system. French feuille = foliage |
Deanford | At bottom of Mogul Lane near the Stour | Crossing place over a river, in a valley. The origin of this name - deonflinc ford is first found in the Anglo Saxon charter of 952 that set the boundary between Cradley and Oldswinford. |
Hollow Close | Oldnall | |
Bath Field | Belle Vale/Colman Hill | OE baeo = Pond |
Lyde | Llio = place on a concave slope. Lyde Green slopes steeply from Homer Hill to River Stour. | |
Upper/Lower Hanging Inhedge Hanging Close | Top of Talbot Street/Spring Street Homer Hill/Park Lane | Hanging = Land on a steep slope |
Siden meadow | Butcher's Lane/River Stour | Land at the side of a stream |
Field Name | Location | Derivation |
Holloway Piece (Leasowe) | Drews Holloway south | A sunken track, usually on sloping ground, worn into soft rock by constant passage of cattle and traffic such as wagons and pack horses. |
Causeway Innage | Junction of Foxcote Lane and Oldnall Road | A raised road in wet ground. A path of timber, stones or earth. Date from Neolithic to present day. Many were constructed in middle ages by the monasteries. |
Church Highway | Highfield/Furlong Lane | The 1782 survey and the 1800 map both contain this field name, but the Tithe Map refers to the field as Walk Leasowe. As there was no church in Cradley at this time, it is assumed that this was the route from Cradley Town to Halesowen Church. |
Highway Hill Croft | Homer Hill | |
Road Close | Homer Hill |
Field Name | Location | Derivation |
Broomy Hayes | Beecher Road East | Land where broom grew. Hayes = enclosed by hedges |
Gorsy (Gosty) Hill | Beecher Road East | Land where gorse grew |
Silver Innage Silver Acre | Homer Hill/Slade Road | Latin Silva = wood |
Stockhold/Stockall | Park Lane | Land with tree stumps left standing in it. OE stocc |
Osier Bed | Alongside the Stour near Cradley Forge | Osier willows (salix vinilalis) were grown besides streams and marshes. Its thin stems were used for basket-making. |
Pineapple Piece | Highfield | Land where pine trees grew? |
Field Name | Location | Derivation |
Wheat Croft | Oldnall | |
Wheat Field | Park Lane | |
The Rickyard | Oakley Memorial Gardens | Field where ricks/stacks of hay were built. |
Rick Close | Colman Hill | |
Rick Innage | Homer Hill | |
Flaxen Well | Talbot Street/Spring Street | Flax was widely cultivated from medieval times and declined considerably just before the beginning of the C19 th It was cultivated for the seeds and fibres of its stems that were made into thread and woven into linen fabric. It was often grown on small parcels of ground known as plecks. |
The Linnards | Cradley Town | Land on which flax was grown. OE lin. |
Field Name | Location | Derivation |
Bullocks Innage | Lutley Gutter near Water Stile | |
Bull Acre | Drews Holloway/Dencil Close | |
Calves Close | 2 Field bear this name. One near to Oldnall Farm, the other in the area of Drews Holloway/Dencil Close | |
Ox Leasow | Homer Hill | |
Fold Piece | Lyde Green/Hillcrest Avenue | |
The Paddock | Butchers Lane/The Stour | Grazing ground |
Paddock Leasow | Oldnall | |
Lamb Pleck | Near Maypole Hill | |
Pinfold Meadow | Bridge Street/Mill Street | Land where stray animals were impounded |
Horse Pasture | Tanhouse Lane |
Field Name | Location | Derivation |
Lower & Upper Park | Cradley Park was created around 1275 by Roger de Somery, Lord of the Manor. It would have been enclosed by ditches and a wooden palisade and used to breed deer, which would later be released on to Pensnett Chase for hunting. By the 18th century it had become dense woodland. | |
Park Piece | ||
Park Close | ||
Park Meadow |
Field Name | Location | Derivation |
Mill Fields | Shelton Lane | Shelton Mill was by the river at bottom of Shelton Lane |
Mill Croft | Homer Hill | Some maps show a windmill on Homer Hill |
Mill Meadow | Boundary at Overend/Rowley | This is the site of Cradley Mill, first mentioned in 1179. It appears on later maps as Hedgers Mill |
Windmill Close | Two Gates Lane | Two Windmills were situated in what is now Two Gates Lane. Both erected C1770 by Thomas Millward of Wollescote Hall |
Chapel Meadow | Chapel House Lane | According to tradition dating back before 1754, an ancient chapel stood in this vicinity. |
Chapel Yard Close | Chapel House Lane | |
Barn Piece | Park Lane | |
Barn Close | Various places | |
Shop Close | Oldnall | OE sceoppa = shed |
Alms House Close | Junction of Furlong Lane/Butchers Lane | Trustees for the Poor of Cradley erected four almshouses in 1711 |
Wainhouse Close | Chapel House Lane/Colley Gate | |
House Meadow | Netherend | |
Home Close | Homer Hill | |
Stable Croft | Colman Hill/Banners Lane |
Field Name | Location | Derivation |
Brick Kiln | Two sites, on either side of Windmill Hill at the junction with Furlong Lane & Toys Lane | Where brick making took place (see note 1) |
Coppice (Copy) | Numerous | (see note 2) |
Coalpit Field | Between Mogul Lane & boundary | Due to the presence of coal on or near the surface. |
Field Name | Location | Derivation |
Cox's Innage | Clent View Road | |
Grove's Field | In Over Woefield | |
Amphlett's Innage | Clent View Road | |
Paston's Innage | Colman Hill/Highfield | |
Hunt's Innage | In Over Woefield | |
Downing's Innage | High Park Road | |
Read's Meadow | Chapel House Lane | |
Mason's Close | Near Mason's Close! | |
Darby's Hill | Maypole Hill | |
Smart's Meadow | Lyde Green/River Stour | |
Tibbott's Close | Near Middletree Road | |
Burley's Close | Cradley Town | |
Jones's Close | Cradley Town | |
Butler 's Close | Cradley Town | |
Bridgewater 's Piece | Banners Lane | |
Wilkin's Croft | Banners Lane | |
Bloomer's Inhedge | Banners Lane | |
Pearsall's Piece | Lutley Gutter | |
Dicks's Inhedge | In Nether Woefield | |
Stevens' Piece | In Nether Woefield | |
Welchman's Acre | In Nether Woefield | |
Ridding's Close | Colley Gate | Ridding (OE ryding) = cleared land |
Pitt's Close | Toys Lane | |
Skelding's Close | Toys Lane | |
Dalton 's Close | Colley Gate | |
Millar's Close | In Colman Field | |
Banner's Piece | Banners Lane | |
Forest Meadow | Near Cradley Park | |
Coalbourne Close | Park Road/Barracks Lane |
Field Name | Location | Derivation |
Cockshutts | Homer Hill | OE coccscyte = a woodland clearing where birds were trapped in a net as they flew through the glade |
Paled Inhedge | Maple Tree Lane/Colley Lane | Land enclosed by a paled fence. |
Broody Croft | Park Lane/Homer Hill | Possibly a site of a disaster or a place where animals were slaughtered. Tithe Map name = Bloody Croft |
Dansel Gap | Dencil Close | |
Long Compton | In Over Woefield | |
New Innage | Oldnall Road | |
The Wardens | James Scott Road/Bassett Road | OE wordign =Enclosed land. |
Foxen Dean | Foxcote Lane | The origin of this name - Foxcotum (Fox Cottages) is first found in the Anglo Saxon charter of 952 that set the boundary between Cradley and Oldswinford. |
Fatherless Piece | In Nether Woefield | Note that the land had this name before any buildings were erected on it. |
York Meadow | Between Park Lane and the parish boundary | |
Fordraft | ||
Green Close | Oldnall Road | |
Oldnall Gate Close | Oldnall Road at parish boundary | Oldnall Gate is a marker in the extent of Oldswinford parish 1733 |
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