Boduel

Boduel is a hamlet in east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated west of Moorswater, one mile (1.6 km) west of Liskeard in the civil parish of Dobwalls.^[1]

Boduel
The stone cross west of Boduel
Boduel Location within Cornwall
OS grid reference	SX226637
Civil parish	Dobwalls
Shire county	Cornwall
Region	South West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Liskeard
Postcode district	PL14
Police	Devon and Cornwall
Fire	Cornwall
Ambulance	South Western
List of places UK England Cornwall 50.4462°N 4.4968°W / 50.4462; -4.4968

History

An ancient stone cross stands at the crossroads just west of Boduel. Crosses of this type were used as way markers between parishes as early as the 10th century.

It is mentioned in the Domesday Book as Botiual (Botival), held from Robert, Count of Mortain. "Hwata holds BODUEL from the Count. He also held it before 1066, and paid tax for half a furlong; 1 furlong of land there, however. Land for one plough; 1/2 a plough there, with 1 slave. 2 villagers and 3 smallholders. Woodland, 10 acres; pasture. 60 acres. Formerly 20 shillings; value now 8 shillings. 5 pigs; 15 sheep; 15 goats."^[2]

Etymology

The meaning of the name is uncertain. "Bod" is almost certainly the old Cornish form of bos, "dwelling-place". "-uel" may come from heuul (sunshine) or hewel (visible, obvious); either of which work because the area is a hill ridge running roughly west–east. "House of Sunshine" seems the most likely interpretation. "Huel" is a variant of "whel", a mine; so it might be thought that it could be "House near a mine" or something similar; but the geology of the area is totally unsuitable for mining (the nearest mining areas are at Caradon, some miles distant). Current and disused stone quarries are in the area, but "whel" or "huel" were never used for quarries.^{[citation needed]}

Boduel on the 1940s Ordnance Survey Popular Edition One Inch to the Mile map. Boduel can be seen about 4.5 km from the west edge of the map, 2+ km from the north.