Mainstone

As a built-up housing estate it's one of the city's newer developments, the estate name itself though is ancient. Thus it is that we find Mainston in 1201, la Maynstane in 1256 and la Maynston in 1298, all of which seems to suggest that this comes from a corruption of the Old English 'maegen' - meaning strength, and stone.

Noted place-name historian Professor Ekwall concluded that this would have given us maegen-stan or 'mighty rock'... which in turn suggests that somewhere here, 900 or more years ago, just up the hill from the ancient track way across Plymbridge there must have been a huge stone that served as a major local landmark.

Strangely enough the only street in Plymouth to carry the name Mainstone is not in that area but rather in Cattedown where it backs on to the northern boundary of Gydnia Way. This place name being considerably more recent, was doubtless borrowed from the original Mainstone rather than describing any particular mighty rock in the Cattedown area - although there are plenty there!

EH 21 May 1994