By Johnathan Cowden

Have you ever wondered why places in Stockport are called what they are called?

Over the last 10,000 years or so, Stockport has been inhabited by various peoples.

This includes Celts, Romans, Angles, Saxons, Danes, Norse, Normans, and more. All of these people have left their mark on the culture and history of Stockport, including the various settlements within it and their names.

Here are the origins of more place names, following on from part one.

Marple

Like many places in Stockport, Marple was not included in the Domesday Book of 1086, as it was likely wasteland. The first mention of Marple that we know of was in 1122, in a deed concerning an exchange of land.

(Image - Alexander Greensmith)

The name is believed to be derived from either the Old English maere hop hyll, meaning "the hill at the boundary valley", or maere pill, meaning "the stream at the boundary". The Old English maere is also where the word Mersey derives from, and the boundary in question in both cases is likely the boundary between the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of Northumbria to the north, and Mercia to the south.

Romiley

Romiley is one of the few places in the Borough of Stockport that does appear in the Domesday Book, despite it being listed with a population of zero. This was likely due to William the Conqueror's harrying of the north.

It appears in the Domesday book at Rumelie, which is likely derived from the old english rum, meaning roomy, and leah, meaning clearing, making Romiley "a roomy clearing in the trees".

Brinnington

Another place not named in the Domesday Book, Brinnington was likely in the manor of Bredbury, and would not have been eligible for its own entry. The name is derived from Bryni, someone's name, and the Old English ing, denoting ownership, and tun, meaning farmstead.

This would make Brinnington "a farmstead belonging to Bryni", although the location of the farmstead in question is unknown.

Woodford

The name "Woodford" came about exactly how you would think. It is derived from the Old English wudu, meaning woods, and ford, meaning place where water can be crossed. This makes Woodford "the place in the woods where the water can be crossed, with the water in question likely being the River Dean, which forms part of the modern day border between Greater Manchester and Cheshire.

(Image - Alasdair Perry)

Compstall

This is the newest settlement on this list, only being built in the 1820s. It is not completely clear where the name derives from, but it is possible that it derives from the Old English cumb, meaning valley, and stall, meaning place, or fishery.

If it does refer to a fishery, it is likely because of its position on the River Etherow. It is unclear how long the name Compstall has been around for, but records from 1608 mention a bridge in the area where farmers would meet and trade.

Heaton Norris

As with all of the four Heatons, the word "Heaton" is derived from the old English heah, meaning high, and tun, meaning farmstead. Norris derives from a Norman landowner, William le Norreys, who owned the area between 1162 and 1180. This meant that Heaton Norris was the high farm belonging to William le Norreys.

Tiviot Dale

Tiviot Dale station was one of the two main railway stations in Stockport, until its closure in 1967. It wasn't named after any feature of the area, but was apparently named after Teviotdale in Scotland. Teviot is derived from the Scottish Gaelic Tibhiot, which is likely a derivation from the same word as "Thames" or "Tame".

The area was supposedly named as such by Jacobites after Prince Charles Stuart camped to the north of the town in 1745.

~

Free from clickbait, pop-up ads and unwanted surveys, Stockport Nub News is a quality online newspaper for our town.

To get our top stories in your inbox each week, subscribe to our free weekly newsletter HERE.

Please consider following Stockport Nub News on Facebook or Twitter