Lea

Lea is an Old English word meaning a "clearing", an "open piece of grassland" or a "grove", and is reflected in most of the English town or village names ending in "-ley" or "-leigh".

Examples are:

• Wembley - Wembla's Clearing (Gt. London)
• Purley - Peartree Grove (Gt. London)
• Hadleigh - Heather Clearing (Essex)

But note these exceptions:

• Beverley - Beaver Stream (East Riding of Yorkshire)
• Bewdley[?] - Beautiful Place (beau lieu) (Hereford and Worcester)

The word is still current in poetic language, meaning "meadow" or "pasture".