Woolfardisworthy, Torridge Explained

Country:England
Coordinates:50.9647°N -4.3769°W
Official Name:Woolfardisworthy
Local Name:Woolsery
Population:1,123
Population Ref:[1]
Static Image:Holy Trinity Church, Woolfardisworthy.jpg
Static Image Width:240px
Static Image Caption:All Hallows' Church
Civil Parish:Woolsery [2]
Shire District:Torridge
Shire County:Devon
Region:South West England
Constituency Westminster:Torridge and West Devon
Postcode District:EX39
Postcode Area:EX
Post Town:Bideford
Dial Code:01237
Type:Village

Woolfardisworthy, also spelled Woolsery,[3] is a village and civil parish in the Torridge district of Devon, England. The village is accessible via the A39 road, 2miles from the village.

Name

Woolfardisworthy, jointly with a few other places in Devon, has one of the longest place names in England, with 16 letters. As the modern pronunciation of the village, known to have been in use since the 17th century, is, its name is sometimes marked on local signs as Woolsery alongside the original spelling.[4]

The original meaning of the name is probably "Wulfheard's homestead"the element -worthy being from Old English English, Old (ca.450-1100);: worþig, one of several words used by the Anglo-Saxons to denote a homestead, farmstead or small settlement.[5]

All Hallows Church

In the parish church dedicated to All Hallows is the large monument with effigy to Richard Cole (d.1614) of Buckish within the parish, also of Slade in the parish of Cornworthy, Devon. It is a Grade 1 British Listed Building.[6]

Organisations

The Centre for Fortean Zoology is based here.

Notes and References

  1. [United Kingdom Census 2001|Census 2001]
  2. Web site: Woolsery Parish Council - Home. WPC.
  3. Book: BBC Pronouncing Dictionary of British Names. 1990. Pointon. Graham. 2nd. Oxford. Oxford University Press. 0-19-282745-6. 264.
  4. Book: Padel, O. J.. Oliver Padel. Historical Atlas of South-West England. Kain, Roger . Ravenhill, William. University of Exeter Press. Exeter. 1999 . Place-names. 88–9 . 0-85989-434-7.
  5. Book: Oxford Dictionary of English Place Names. 1960. 4th. Ekwall. Eilert. Eilert Ekwall. Oxford. Oxford University Press. 0-19869-103-3.
  6. Web site: Church of All Hallows, Woolfardisworthy, Devon. www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. 9 May 2018. Listing NGR: SS3322121085.