By Tim Lambert Early Shepton Mallet There was a Bronze Age settlement on the site of the village of Shepton Mallet. In 1995 the remains of Bronze Age homes and pottery were found in Shepton Mallet. Furthermore, Maesbury Ring, an Iron Age hill fort stands north of the town. Later Shepton Mallet lay just west… Continue reading A History of Shepton Mallet
A History of Ipswich
By Tim Lambert Anglo-Saxon Ipswich Ipswich started as a small trading settlement in the early 7th century. There are 2 theories about how Ipswich got its name. It may have been Gippa’s wic (wic is an old word meaning port). Or it may have been Gip’s wic (gip meant corner, in this case, the corner… Continue reading A History of Ipswich
A History of Keresley
By Tim Lambert Keresley began as a Saxon village. The Saxon word leah meant a clearing in a wood. The first part of the name Keresley may be a corruption of watercress. Or it may be a corruption of a man’s name. The original settlement was at Keresley Green but Keresley Heath grew up in… Continue reading A History of Keresley
A History of Kettering
By Tim Lambert Medieval Kettering Kettering began as an Anglo-Saxon village. Its name was Ketter ingas, which means the people of Ketter. Kettering was first mentioned in history in the year 956. Then in 972, the manor of Kettering was granted to the abbey at Peterborough. By the time of the Domesday Book in 1086… Continue reading A History of Kettering
A History of King’s Lynn
By Tim Lambert King’s Lynn in the Middle Ages King’s Lynn was once called Bishop’s Lynn because it belonged to a bishop. (Bishops Lynn became King’s Lynn in the 16th century). The word Lynn means pool and probably refers to a tidal pool on the Ouse. By the end of the 11th century, a little… Continue reading A History of King’s Lynn
A History of Kingston Upon Thames
By Tim Lambert Dedicated to June Mason 1928-2011 Saxon and Medieval Kingston Upon Thames Kingston Upon Thames was once the king’s tun or estate. In Saxon times it had royal connections. In 838 King Egbert of Wessex called a church council there. Furthermore, several Saxon kings were crowned in Kingston, including Edward the Elder (900),… Continue reading A History of Kingston Upon Thames
A History of Launceston
By Tim Lambert Launceston in the Middle Ages The name Launceston is made up of Celtic and Saxon words. Lann meant church in Cornish. So it was the Lann of St Stephen. The ‘ton’ comes from the Saxon word ‘tun’ which meant farm, hamlet, or estate. By the time of the Norman conquest in 1066,… Continue reading A History of Launceston
A History of Leeds
By Tim Lambert Leeds in the Middle Ages Leeds began as a Saxon village. By the time of the Domesday Book (1086), it had a population of around 200. By the standards of the time, Leeds was quite a large village. Many were much smaller. Then in 1207 the Lord of the Manor, Maurice De… Continue reading A History of Leeds
A History of Leicester
By Tim Lambert Roman Leicester Leicester probably started as a Celtic settlement. It was the capital of the local Celtic tribe, the Corieltauvi. The Romans invaded Britain in 43 AD and they captured Leicestershire by 47 AD. The Romans built a fort at Leicester in 48 AD. The Celtic settlement nearby prospered as the Roman… Continue reading A History of Leicester
A History of Lewes
By Tim Lambert Early Lewes Lewes began as a Saxon village. The Saxons invaded East Sussex in the 5th century. Lewes was probably founded in the 6th century. (The name Lewes is probably derived from a Saxon word, ‘hluews’ which meant slopes or hills). Later the Saxons made Lewes a town. In the late 9th… Continue reading A History of Lewes