Lea
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Note: This article concerns the word "Lea." For the saint, see Saint Lea.
Lea is an Old English word meaning a "clearing", an "open piece of grassland" or a "grove". It is common in English town names, in the north it generally uses the pure form of '-lea' whilst in the south it generally uses a changed spelling such as "-ley", "-leigh" or "-lee".
Examples are:
- Wembley - Wembla's Clearing (Greater London)
- Purley - Peartree Grove (Greater London)
- Hadleigh - Heather Clearing (Essex)
But note these exceptions:
- Beverley - Beaver Stream (East Riding of Yorkshire)
- Bewdley - Beautiful Place (beau lieu) (Worcestershire)
See also
- Lea, Gainsborough - a place in Lincolnshire
- Lea, Lincolnshire
- Lea, Derbyshire
- Lea, Shropshire
- Lea, Herefordshire
- Lea, Wiltshire
The word is still current in poetic language, meaning "meadow" or "pasture".
Lea is also: