Place Name
The name is a corruption of Sanford, recorded from at least 1225 and means a hill by a sandy ford. The reference to the hill was made in 1294 when it was written as Saundfordhull becoming Sampfordehill in 1410. It took on its contemporary spelling in 1675. This was formerly part of the Roman road Ermine Street which ran from London to York via Lincoln. It was so-named since it took its name from a tribe whose territory it passed through in this case Earna’s people. Recorded this as Erningestrate in the 13thCentury. It remained a tiny hamlet until the middle of the 18thCentury.
