By Tim Lambert Early Swindon Swindon began as a Saxon village. The name Swindon is derived from the Saxon words swine dun meaning pig hill or the hill where pigs were bred. Swindon is mentioned in the Domesday Book (1086). At that time Swindon was a tiny village but by the late 13th century Swindon… Continue reading A History of Swindon
A History of Tamworth
By Tim Lambert Saxon Tamworth Tamworth began as a Saxon settlement in Staffordshire. It was the Tame worth or the enclosure by the River Tame. It was made into an important place by King Offa of Mercia (a Saxon kingdom that roughly corresponded to the Midlands of England). Offa reigned from 755 to 796. He… Continue reading A History of Tamworth
A History of Taunton
By Tim Lambert Dedicated to Valerie Luff Medieval Taunton Taunton began as a Saxon village in Somerset. It was called Tone Tun. The Saxon word tun means farm or estate. The word Tone is Celtic and may mean a roaring river. By the 10th century, Taunton had grown from a village into a small town… Continue reading A History of Taunton
A History of Titchfield
By Tim Lambert Titchfield in the Middle Ages In the 6th century AD, people called the Jutes from Denmark settled the Isle of Wight and part of Hampshire. A tribe called the Meon settled in the Meon Valley and they founded the settlement at Titchfield. Titchfield was originally a feld, which was an open area… Continue reading A History of Titchfield
A History of Trowbridge
By Tim Lambert Early Trowbridge At the time of the Domesday Book (1086), Trowbridge was a typical settlement with a population of about 120. However, during the 12th century, Trowbridge became a focal point for the surrounding villages. In 1200 the Lord of the Manor was granted the right to hold markets in Trowbridge and… Continue reading A History of Trowbridge
A History of Truro
By Tim Lambert Truro in the Middle Ages Truro began as a Celtic village. The Normans built a castle by the settlement. The castle stimulated the growth of Truro. The castle’s garrison provided a market for goods made in the settlement and it grew into a town. At some point (the exact date is not… Continue reading A History of Truro
A History of Tunbridge Wells
By Tim Lambert Tunbridge Wells in the 17th century The town of Tunbridge Wells began with a chalybeate spring. Chalybeate means it contains iron. Rainwater fell on the ground containing iron deposits, soaked through them then rose in a spring. The iron deposits in the spring water stained the ground around the spring a rusty… Continue reading A History of Tunbridge Wells
A History of Walsall
By Tim Lambert Early Walsall Walsall began as a small Anglo-Saxon village. It is first mentioned in the early 11th century. The name Walsall may be derived from the words Walh halh, which means Celt’s valley. In the 5th century AD, Celts lived in England but Angles and Saxons from Germany invaded. During the 6th… Continue reading A History of Walsall
A History of Wareham
By Tim Lambert Saxon Wareham Fifteen hundred years ago the Celts lived in the area of Wareham. However, the modern settlement was founded by the Saxons. They conquered east Dorset in the mid-7th century and about 700 AD a Saxon named St Aldhelm founded a nunnery on the site of Wareham. He also built a… Continue reading A History of Wareham
A History of Middlesbrough
By Tim Lambert Early Middlesbrough Until the 19th century, Middlesbrough was a hamlet. In 1829 it had only 40 inhabitants but things were about to change dramatically. From 1825 coal from the South Durham coalfield was taken by train from Darlington to Stockton on Tees. From there it was taken by train to other parts… Continue reading A History of Middlesbrough