Author: Tim Lambert

By Tim Lambert Luccombe lies at the bottom of Dunkery Beacon. At 1,750 feet it is the highest hill on Exmoor. Luccombe may mean an enclosed valley. Or it may have been Lufa’s cumb (Lufa’s valley). At any rate, for centuries the people of Luccombe have lived by farming. From the 16th century, there were… Continue reading A History of Luccombe

By Tim Lambert Saxon Luton Luton began when the Saxons conquered Bedfordshire in the 6th century. They created a farm or settlement called a tun by the river Lea. (Lea may be a Celtic word meaning bright river). By the 10th century, the little settlement of Lea tun had grown into a town. Luton would… Continue reading A History of Luton

By Tim Lambert Early Lutterworth Lutterworth began as a Saxon settlement. Its name may be derived from the words Hlutre Worth. The word hlutre meant clear and it may have been an old name for the River Swift. The word worth meant an enclosure (a farm or settlement enclosed by a wooden palisade). At any… Continue reading A History of Lutterworth

By Tim Lambert Early Lymington Lymington began as a Saxon village. The Saxons arrived in what is now South West Hampshire in the 6th century. They founded a settlement called limen tun. The Saxon word tun means a farm or hamlet. Limen is believed to be a Celtic name meaning either elm river or, perhaps,… Continue reading A History of Lymington

By Tim Lambert Medieval Maidstone Maidstone began as a Saxon village. From the 10th century, it was owned by the Archbishop of Canterbury. At the time of the Domesday Book (1086), Maidstone was a large village with a population of perhaps 250. (Most villages would have 100-150 inhabitants). At that time it had 5 watermills,… Continue reading A History of Maidstone

By Tim Lambert Roman Manchester Manchester began when the Roman army built a wooden fort on a plateau about 1 mile south of the present cathedral in about 80 AD. The Romans called it Mamucium (breast-shaped hill) probably because the plateau resembled a breast. The fort was rebuilt in stone about 200 AD. Soon a… Continue reading A History of Manchester

By Tim Lambert Market Harborough was founded by the Saxons. They built a little village and we believe they called it haefera beorg, which means oats hill. In time the name evolved into its modern form. At the time of the Domesday Book, in 1086 Market Harborough was still a tiny village. However, in the… Continue reading A History of Market Harborough

By Tim Lambert Early Meonstoke In 1984 a Saxon man was discovered at Meonstoke. Furthermore, a Roman building was discovered about 1 kilometre north of Meonstoke. In 1987 a Bronze Age woman from about 3,000 BC was discovered. There is an old legend that the Romans tried to build the city of Winchester on Old… Continue reading A History of Meonstoke

By Tim Lambert Early Eastbourne For centuries Eastbourne was a large village. The people lived by farming or sometimes by fishing. However, in 1232 Eastbourne was granted the right to hold markets and fairs. (In the Middle Ages fairs were like markets but they were held only once a year and they attracted buyers and… Continue reading A History of Eastbourne

Tim Lambert Early East Grinstead East Grinstead began as a Saxon village. Its name means green place. By the time of the Domesday Book (1086), it was quite a large village. In the 13th century, East Grinstead became a town. In 1247 East Grinstead was given a charter (a document granting the people certain rights).… Continue reading A History of East Grinstead