Bell o' th' Hill explained

Country:England
Official Name:Bell o' th' Hill
Coordinates:53.0038°N -2.7123°W
Static Image:Blue Bell Inn, Tushingham.JPG
Static Image Caption:The Blue Bell, at Bell o' th' Hill
Civil Parish:Tushingham-cum-Grindley, Macefen and Bradley
Unitary England:Cheshire West and Chester
Lieutenancy England:Cheshire
Region:North West England
Constituency Westminster:Eddisbury
Post Town:WHITCHURCH
Postcode District:SY13
Postcode Area:SY
Dial Code:01948
Os Grid Reference:SJ523454

Bell o' th' Hill is a small, scattered settlement in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, close to the border with Shropshire. Until 2015 it was in the civil parish of Tushingham cum Grindley: it is now in the civil parish of Tushingham-cum-Grindley, Macefen and Bradley.[1] The settlement is adjacent to the A41 road north of Whitchurch, and an earlier line of the main road passes through it.

The unusual place-name has been supposed to be a back-formation from that of the historic "Bell on the Hill" inn, but the inn name may in fact have been suggested by the earlier forms "Belle Hill", recorded in 1610, and "Bellow Hill", noted 1675, possibly an Old English name from belg and hläw ("rounded hill").[2] The Bell was built in 1677 by a London grocer, Edmund Nevitt.[3] Now named the Blue Bell, it was Grade II listed in 1967.[4]

A document of 1314 refers to an assart between "le Castelward" and Tushingham Hall, which has been taken to suggest the presence of a castle or motte here.[2]

Notes and References

  1. http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/CHS/tushinghamcumgrindleymacefenandbradley Tushingham cum Grindley, Macefen & Bradley
  2. Dodgson, The place names of Cheshire, part II, 1972, p.48
  3. The Cheshire Sheaf vol 2, 1883, p.361
  4. https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1330257 Blue Bell, Tushingham cum Grindley