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Belton is a large parish at the centre of the Isle. Within it's boundaries are the
hamlets of Beltoft, Sandtoft, Churchtown, Bracon, Carrhouses, Mosswood, Grey
Green and Westgate. There is also the, now broken up, country house estates of Temple Belwood and
Hirst Priory.
Place-name.
Belton - 1086
Beltone (Domesday Book) |
bél - near a fire, beacon or funeral pyre (Old English) |
bel - glade or dry ground in a marsh (Old
English) |
tun - enclosure, village, estate or manor (Old English) |
bel + tun = Belton |
Meaning - uncertain - could be enclosure on dry ground in a marsh |
or enclosure near a funeral pyre |
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Belton
could of also been named after the pagan sun god 'Bel' (Bel's + tun =
Belton) |
There
are too many names in the parish with the suffix 'bel', including Belton,
Belgathorne, Belgraves, Belshaw, Beltoft and Belwood, to think there is not some
connection with the pagan god Bel. |
Further
reading - Mills, A. D. A Dictionary of English Place Names
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