Efford

There are several Effords in Devon and all are river or creekside locations. They conspire to persuade us that this is simply a corruption of Ebb Ford - literaly a "ford passable at ebb tide".

The ebb tide is the retiring tide that leaves a creek or waterside point in its most water-free state.

Certainly the topography of ancient and modern Efford lends support to the notion and the name may well have referred to a crossing of the Plym near here rather than a crossing of a creek, although it is feasbile the ford in question was across the long infilled Lipson Creek.

Historically the earliest spellings we have of the name take us back to the 12th century. There, in 1186 we find "Eppeford" and later, in 1306, "Eford" with the contemporary Efford appearing in between, in records from 1284.

EH 8 December 1998