ONE of the great place-name riddles concerns the origins of the one-time pit village of Haydock, now more swankily upbeat with desirable modern property, top-class hotel accommodation and thriving industrial estate.
Some locals believe it means just that: a dock for hay. This can be discounted, since the township reaches back at least to the year 900; and the only thing resembling a nearby 'dock' was on the banks of the Blackbrook canal, dating back only to 1757.
But now, according to research papers found in the effects of a late local historian and passed on for my perusal, Haydock is a corruption of 'Hedge of Oak.' Even today, I'm told, there are traces there of oaks closely set in hedgelike fashion.
ANYONE able to advance further theories on this intriguing subject?
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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