Winchcombe

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small historic market town in the Cotswolds area of Gloucestershire, England, known for its medieval buildings and abbey ruins
2. An English town located in Gloucestershire in the Cotswold hills, noted for its old stone architecture and its link to early Saxon history
3. A picturesque settlement in the county of Gloucestershire in western England, famous for its heritage sites and rural Cotswold setting

Etymology: Winchcombe is a town in Gloucestershire, and its name is an old place-name rather than a word with a dramatic coinage story. It comes from Old English elements: "wince" or "wincel," meaning a corner or bend, and "cumb," meaning a valley, a deep hollow. The combination describes a valley set in a bend or nook of the land, which suits the town's position in the Cotswold hills. The name is recorded in the Anglo-Saxon period, and Winchcombe was once an important centre in its own right. In the eighth and ninth centuries it was the seat of Mercian kings, and a Benedictine abbey was founded there, whose history is tied closely to the town's early importance.