Compton Abdale, a small rural parish 12.5 km. ESE. of Cheltenham, was often known as Great Compton (or Compton Magna) (fn. 1) to distinguish it from other Comptons in Gloucestershire, particularly the adjoining Little (later Cassey) Compton, which is mainly in Withington parish. The derivation of the adjunct 'Abdale', which was recorded from the early 16th century (fn. 2) and eventually became the established form, is unknown. In the 17th and 18th centuries the place was sometimes called Compton-in-the-Hole, referring to the confined valley site of the village, (fn. 3) but that was evidently only a colloquial and very local usage. The ancient parish included a detached part comprising 110 a. at Upper Hampen, (fn. 4) c. 2.5 km. north of the main body of the parish, a connexion that seems to have originated in the disposition of ancient estates of St. Oswald's priory, Gloucester. In 1883 Upper Hampen was transferred to Shipton parish (with which it is included in this volume), leaving Compton Abdale parish with an area of 2,188 a. (886 ha.).