the name witham is a composite name, part brythonic (probably from a cognate of gwydd = "woods" in modern welsh) and "ham" a typical saxon ending, and remains unchanged in spelling. the parish of witham appears in the domesday book of 1086. the manor of witham was given to the knights templar in 1148. to the north of the current town is cressing temple which was the earliest foundation of templar lands in britain, built over 700 years ago.