Bridgend, Cornwall

Lostwithiel Cornish: Lostwydhyel
The 12th-century bridge across the River Fowey
Lostwithiel
Lostwithiel shown within Cornwall
Population	2,814 (2011)
OS grid reference	SX104598
Civil parish	Lostwithiel
Unitary authority	Cornwall Council
Ceremonial county	Cornwall
Region	South West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LOSTWITHIEL
Postcode district	PL22
Dialling code	01208
Police	Devon and Cornwall
Fire	Cornwall
Ambulance	South Western
EU Parliament	South West England
UK Parliament	South East Cornwall
List of places UK England Cornwall 50°24′27″N 4°40′11″W / 50.40741°N 4.66964°W / 50.40741; -4.66964Coordinates: 50°24′27″N 4°40′11″W / 50.40741°N 4.66964°W / 50.40741; -4.66964

Lostwithiel (/lɒstˈwɪðjəl/; Cornish: Lostwydhyel) is a civil parish and small town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom at the head of the estuary of the River Fowey. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,739, increasing to 2,899 at the 2011 census. The Lostwithiel electoral ward had a population of 4,639 at the 2011 census. The name Lostwithiel comes from the Cornish "lostwydhyel" which means "tail of a wooded area".

The origin of the name Lostwithiel is a subject much debated. In the 16th century it was thought that the name came from the Roman name Uzella, translated as Les Uchel in Cornish. In the 17th century popular opinion was that the name came from a translation of Lost (a tail) and Withiel (a lion), the lion in question being the lord who lived in the castle.

Current thinking is that the name comes from the Old Cornish Lost Gwydhyel meaning "tail-end of the woodland". The view from Restormel Castle looking towards the town shows how this may have come to be.

Lostwithiel is an historic borough. The Lostwithiel constituency elected two members to the Unreformed House of Commons, but was disenfranchised by the Reform Act 1832. It remained a municipal borough until the 1960s, when it became a civil parish.

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Wikipedia