Woodford Halse Archive

Woodford Short History

Saxon Wodeford & the origin of village names

From about 600AD, Northamptonshire was part of the Saxon kingdom of Mercia and it is from Saxon times that we have the first mention of the settlements that would come to make up Woodford Halse. Collection of the Danegeld (a tax to fund "protection money" paid to deter Danish invasion) in 991AD was arranged through groups of settlements called "Hundreds" and Waredone Hundred (Chipping Warden) included the settlements of "Farendone", "Hintone" and "Wodeford".

These names originated from local features and people. Hintone came from "Higna Tun" (Higna's Farm), Farendone from "Feren Dun" (Fern Hill) and Wodeford presumably from "Wood Ford", a crossing of the River Cherwell.

By kind permission of John Williams