K

The Kellyn (Clodock).

Possibly connected with W. celli, 'a grove', or with W. celyn, 'holly-trees'. In a Crasswall Chart. of 1272 is mentioned (with Dulas) a Blameskeli. There is a Cellan in Cardiganshire.

Kenchester.

O.E. cyne ceaster, 'royal camp'. Dom. often turns c into the softer ch. In the neighbouring parish of Credenhill there was in 1722 a field called Chester Meadow.

Kenderchurch.

The Lib. Land. form gives in Mod. W. Llangynidr, 'Church of St Gynidr'. Glasbury church is dedicated to this Saint, there spelt Cynidr. And in a Brecon charter (undated, but apparently of 12th century) Glasbury is called Kenedereschirch, and mention is made of seven acres of land 'in Kenedereshull'. In 1304 there was also a 'capella Sancti Kenedri que est in insula de Wynfretone, que insula ab incolis nuncupatur Hermitorium'.

Kentchurch.

Traces of this Celtic saint are found also in Keynsham (Som.) and Chapel of St Keyne (Corn.), and prob. in Kinley (q.v.).

Ken Water (trib. of Lugg, Leominster).

Kerne Bridge (Bishopswood).

I cannot find any form older than the 1831 Ord. Map. Near by is Springherne, with which it may be connected.

Kerry Hall (Abbeydore).

Kerrysgate Cwm (Abbeydore).

*Kesti [near Maescoed and the Eskley brook].

Kevenwherven (Much Dewchurch).

Welsh. J. Hobson Matthews says cefn-y-ferfain, 'the ridge of the vervain'.

Keyo (Wormbridge).

See Cayo.

Kidleys (Acton Beauchamp).

Kilbury Camp (Colwall).

I always suspect the explanation that a place-name is 'a hybrid', and, if we had old forms, this would probably turn out to have been originally Welsh in both elements. Yet its present form seems to combine the Welsh cil with the English burh.

Kilforge (Boulstone).

I believe this to be the Kilfodes of the Holme Lacy Court Roll 1598: it may be W. cil (see App.) and ffordd, 'a road'.

Killbreece (Tretire).

W. cil (see App.) and probably the adj. bres, used of anything 'having a bunchy top'.

Kill-bullock meadow (Ewyas Harold).

Evidently a corruption of W. cil (see App.) and bwlch, 'a gap', 'a defile', akin to the Scotch Balloch. There is a Bullock's Mill in Lyonshall, and a Bullock Wood in Thruxton.

Kill-dane-field (Weston-under-Penyard).

Said by popular etymology to be the site of the great slaughter of the Danes in 918. But the Danes, in the raid on Archenfield (really in 915), so far from being slaughtered, captured the Bishop of Llandaff, and departed rejoicing to their ships, with much booty. Old forms are needed, to give certainty, but very probably we have here a corruption of Welsh cil (as above), and the adj. damn, 'fine, delicate'.

*Killyards [Goodrich].

Probably 'Kail-yards', assimilated to the Kil-prefix in several place-names near by.

Kilpeck.

Prof. Lloyd explains the Dom. form as a scribe's mistake for Chilpeece [As illustrating the difficulties of the Norman scribe in dealing with Welsh words, we may note that the holder of Ki1peck T.R.E. is given in Dom. as Cadiand, whom Lib. Land. gives more correctly as Catgen du.] Eg. Phil. thinks it is a mistake for Chilpetec, which is phonetically equivalent to the Cil Pedec of the Lib. Land. The word involved in pedec is obscure; its plural is found in Lib. Land. as Pedecou.

Kilreague (Llangarren).

If the Ord. Map correctly interprets the word, it would be Welsh for 'rye-nook', 'retreat where the rye grows'.

Kimbolton.

In Leom. Cart. passim: in earlier entries Kynebalton, later Kymbalton. The Hunts. Kimbolton is Dom. Chenebaltone, phonetically all but equivalent to the earlier Leom. form, 'Cynebald's tun'.

Kinford (Canon Pyon).

This may be the Kingisford of Leom. Cart.

King's Acre (Hereford).

So called circ. 1281 ('Customs of Hereford').

*Kingsfield [in Kentchurch].

Kingsland.

See Eardisland. For second element see Lene.

*Kingsley [near Shelwick].

Kingsthorne (Much Birch).

There is in Much Birch also, in 1538, a King's Close of twenty acres.

Kingstone.

'King's tun'. There is a Kingstone also in Weston-under-Penyard; and a Kingstone Grange in Abbeydore.

King Street Farm (Ewyas Harold).

Kingswood (Kington).

Kington.

O.E. cyne tun, 'royal town'. The Warwcs. Kington is often even now Kineton; and near Leintwardine a Dom. Chingtune has become Kinton (q.v.).

Kinley (Letton).

Prob. 'the meadow of Keyne' (see Kentchurch). Four miles away, in Brilley, is Kintley (the t prob. intrusive); and there is another Kinley in Moccas.

Kinnersley.

'The lea of Cyneheard' (the mod. Kennard, a common surname in Herefordshire). J.H.R. thinks Kinnersley may possibly be the Dom. Curdeslege; which would give a different personal name.

Kinsham.

No old forms. Possibly the first element is as in Kinley (q.v.). It is scarcely probable that it is O.E. cyne as in Kinton.

Kinton (Leintwardine).

O.E. cyne tun, 'royal town', as Kington (q.v.).

Kiverknoll (Much Dewchurch).

A difficult word. In a district of prevailing Welsh pl.-ns. I suspect it is originally Welsh, corrupted by English lips, until it has a definitely English form.

The Knapp.

(At least ten in the county: at Bridge Sollers, Brimfield, Bromyard, Kingsland, Ledbury, Peterchurch, Pixley, Whitney-on-Wye; with Knapp Green at Little Dewchurch, and Barley Knapp in Peterchurch.) O.E. cnaep, M.E. knap, 'a small hill'. In Sussex the 14th century form Knappe is now Knepp.

Knapton (Birley).

See above: 'tun on the small hill'.

Knell (Colwall).

Prob. variant of Knill (q.v.).

Knill.

O.E. cnol, 'a hill'.

Knocker Hill (Haywood).

Knolton (Kilpeck).

O.E. cnol, 'a hill', 'hill-town'.

Kyming Common (Almeley).

Kymin Wharf (Ocle Pychard).

Kynaston (Hentland, and Much Marcle).

Hentland Kynaston.

Much Marcle Kynaston.

The two names derive from pers. names which are somewhat different, though akin. Hentland Kynaston is 'Cyneheard's tun'; that in Much Marcle is 'Cyneweard's tun'. Both are common names in O.E.

Kyrebatch (Thornbury).

'Valley of the Kyrebrook'. For second element see App., -bach.

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