Place Name
Although the name itself is relatively modern – Palewell only came into existence in 1802, its origins go back much further. It comes from Pale Common (known as the Little Common because it was a fraction of the size of Sheen Common), which was land enclosed by a fence in the preceding 300 years, and in 1560 called The Pale. The road itself was constructed on the grounds of Palewell Lodge in 1898. Charles Hailstone in Alleyways of Mortlake and East Sheen writes: “Palewell Common and Palewell Fields or meadows, divided by a line of old trees, are both of medieval origin. Part of the common [around 12 acres] was enclosed in Richmond Park in 1637. The ancient name was The Pale perhaps from fencing, later names included Little Hurst Common and Little Sheen Common.” Pale, derives from the Latin word palus meaning a stake, or, more generally, a fence.
