Author: Tim Lambert

By Tim Lambert The village of Montacute gets its name from the Latin words Mons Acutis, which means pointed hill. (In the Middle Ages all educated people spoke Latin and the names of places were often given in Latin in documents). In the 11th century, according to an old legend Tostig, a lieutenant of King… Continue reading A History of Montacute

By Tim Lambert Early Narborough Narborough is a village in Leicestershire located 6 miles Southwest of Leicester. Narborough was founded by the Anglo-Saxons. Its name was originally nor burh, which means north fort or fortified house. In the 7th century, the Saxons advanced across Leicestershire and Narborough must have once been an outpost of their… Continue reading A History of Narborough

By Tim Lambert Dedicated to T/SGT Wayne F. Laubert, 2LT John P. Mockus, and 2LT Charles A Crooks Newbury in the Middle Ages Newbury was founded sometime after the Norman Conquest of 1066. At that time trade and commerce were increasing in England and many new towns were created. The Lord of the Manor created… Continue reading A History of Newbury

By Tim Lambert Newcastle in the Middle Ages The city of Newcastle Upon Tyne was founded at the lowest place the Tyne could be easily crossed. In 1080 the Normans built a wooden fort to safeguard the crossing. They also erected a wooden bridge. (The ‘new castle’ was rebuilt in stone in the 12th century).… Continue reading A History of Newcastle Upon Tyne

By Tim Lambert Newcastle Under Lyme in the Middle Ages The ‘new’ castle which gave the town its name was built by the Normans. Originally it was made of wood but it was later rebuilt in stone. We are not sure why it was called the ‘new’ castle. Presumably, there was an older castle or… Continue reading A History of Newcastle Under Lyme

By Tim Lambert Early Newton Abbot Newton Abbot was created in the 13th century. However, originally there were two towns. In the 13th century, England was divided into areas called manors. One, south of the River Lemon was owned by the Abbey of Torre. In 1220 the Abbot founded a new town south of the… Continue reading A History of Newton Abbot

By Tim Lambert Northampton in the Middle Ages Northampton began as an Anglo-Saxon village. It was called Hamm tun, which means the village by the well-watered meadow. Later it was called North Hamm tun, probably to distinguish it from Southampton. Gradually the name changed to Northampton. When they occupied Eastern England in the late 9th… Continue reading A History of Northampton

By Tim Lambert Anglo-Saxon Norwich Norwich started as a small Anglo-Saxon settlement north of the River Wensum in Norfolk. In time it grew into a town, perhaps because of its situation on a river. (In those days it was much cheaper and easier to transport goods for sale by water than by land). It became… Continue reading A History of Norwich

By Tim Lambert Saxon Nottingham Nottingham began in the 6th century as a small settlement called Snotta inga ham. The Anglo-Saxon word ham meant village. The word inga meant ‘belonging to’ and Snotta was a man. So its name meant the village owned by Snotta. Gradually its name changed to Snottingham then just Nottingham. It… Continue reading A History of Nottingham

By Tim Lambert Nuneaton began as a Saxon farmstead (tun), by the water (ea). By the time of the Domesday Book (1086), it had grown into a fairly large village. In the middle of the 12th century, the Lord of the Manor gave the village to a French Abbey. They built a priory (small abbey)… Continue reading A History of Nuneaton