Winklebury
Winklebury, Basingstokecounty:
coords:
Hampshire
SU6152
otherwise: Wiltenischebury, 1290; Wyltenysshbury, 1407; Wynnyshbury; Wynlysbery, le, 1443; Wincknersbury, 1578
WINKLEBURY, district of Basingstoke
This remarkable name has undergone many irregular transformations. Gover notes that, in a Romsey context, one Walter le Wyltenysshe is mentioned in an Assize Roll of 1289. This makes it very likely that we have to do with a surname meaning 'hailing from Wilton (Wiltshire)', though its form is without any perfect parallel that I know of (the nearest being 'Kentish, Devenish'; these two county derived names suggest that 'Wiltonish' is elliptical for 'Wiltonshire-ish'). Given this, the present name must be 'manor associated with the le Wyltenysshe family'. In this case 'burh' will be 'fort' rather than 'manor', in view of the earthwork within which the school now stands, though the adjacent (now lost) 'Bury Farm' supports either interpretation.
The modern name has clearly been influenced by the name of the hillfort 'Winklebury' in Berwick St John (Wiltshire), though this is 45 miles away.
