Pensax, Menithwood, Pensax Common, Snead Common, Worles Common.
The name Pensax is a combination of the Celtic words “pen” (hilltop) and “sais” (Englishman, Saxon). Unlike many English place names with Celtic elements, the modifier follows the basic noun, as is customary in Celtic languages. This indicates that Brittonic speakers coined the name, rather than Old English speakers borrowing a Brittonic element.
The close village of Menith Wood also has a Celtic name meaning mountain/hill, this time derived from the Welsh language word “mynydd”. Nearby, too, lies the River Teme, whose name comes from the Celtic “tamesis” (the dark one), the same as the rivers Thames and Tame. All of this points to a strong Celtic speaking population having still resided in this area after the Anglo Saxons migrated into the region.
