Eastwood, Nottinghamshire

"Eastwood" is a hybrid place-name, formed from Old English Est, for "East", and Old Norse Þveit , for "meadow", "cleared meadow", or "clearing in a wood." This is a common element in English place-names, often found as "Thwaite". "Eastwood" might mean eastern clearing, possibly originating as a Viking-age clearing in Sherwood Forest. There is some evidence to suggest that the land around Eastwood was occupied in the Middle and Late Palǣolithic periods. The location of the settlement is due primarily to the availability of rich agricultural land, the proximity of the River Erewash and—most importantly—the extensive and easily mined coal deposits. During The Anarchy, the 12th century civil…