Kinson Parish, within the Manor of Canford Magna, is centred on the site of a Saxon church. The parish boundaries extend far beyond Kinson Village, taking in various hamlets, Cudnell (or Bear Cross), High Howe, West Howe, Howe, East Howe, and Ensbury. These hamlets gave rise to the names of several 20th century housing estates, although the origins of their names is debatable. The 'howe' form appears to be an old English word for a mound. This could either be a topographical feature, as the gravel terraces along the south of the River Stour have been carved into rounded promontories by small rills and streams; but 'howe' could also refer to the various burial mounds which formerly covered the slopes.