By Tim Lambert Roman Cirencester The Romans invaded England in 43 AD. The Celtic tribe in this area, the Dobunni put up little resistance. Nevertheless, the Romans built a fort on the site of Cirencester. Soon a civilian settlement grew up nearby. The soldiers in the fort provided a ready market for goods made by… Continue reading A History of Cirencester
A History of Clanfield
By Tim Lambert Early Clanfield Clanfield began as a small settlement in the Middle Ages. Its name was claen feld. The Saxon word ‘feld’ did not mean field in the modern sense, it meant an area of open land. The word ‘claen’ meant cleared i.e. cleared of shrubs and other plants. For centuries the people… Continue reading A History of Clanfield
A History of Colchester
By Tim Lambert Roman Colchester Colchester started life as a centre of the local Celtic tribe, the Trinovantes. It was a group of settlements and farmland surrounded by a network of ditches. The site was about 12 square miles or 20 square kilometers. The Romans invaded Britain in 43 AD and they built a fort… Continue reading A History of Colchester
A History of Congleton
By Tim Lambert The first people to live in the Congleton area were Neolithic (New Stone Age) farmers. The Stone Age farmers built a chambered stone tomb called the Bridestones. There is also evidence that people lived in the area during the Bronze Age, which followed the Stone Age at about 1,800 BC. However, we… Continue reading A History of Congleton
A History of Coventry
By Tim Lambert Coventry in the Middle Ages Coventry began as a Saxon village. It was called Coffantree, which means the tree belonging to Coffa. Trees were often used as meeting places. In this case, a settlement grew up around the tree and it eventually became called Coventry. Then in 1043 Leofric, the local Earl,… Continue reading A History of Coventry
A History of Crawley
By Tim Lambert Old Crawley Crawley began as a Saxon village. It was originally called crow leah. The old English word leah meant a clearing so it was the clearing with crows. However, by the 13th century, Crawley had grown into a small market town. (This was partly because it lay on an important road… Continue reading A History of Crawley
A History of Crewkerne
By Tim Lambert Early Crewkerne The name Crewkerne is believed to be derived from words meaning house by a hill. The house may have been an important building. At any rate, a settlement grew up around it. Crewkerne was first mentioned in history in the late 9th century. By the 11th century, Crewkerne was an… Continue reading A History of Crewkerne
A History of Darlington
By Tim Lambert Early Darlington Darlington began as a small village. It first appeared in writing in the early 11th century when it was called Dearthingtun. Its name was probably originally Deornoth ing tun. Deaornoth was a man. The word ‘ing’ meant belonging to and tun meant farm or hamlet. So it was the estate… Continue reading A History of Darlington
A History of Denmead
By Tim Lambert Early Denmead Denmead began as a Saxon settlement. Its name was originally denu mead or meadow in a small valley. In Saxon times and for long afterward it was an isolated place that stood in the Forest of Bere, which stretched from the Sussex border to Winchester. Stoneacre is believed to be… Continue reading A History of Denmead
A History of Derby
By Tim Lambert Roman Derby Derby began as a Roman fort. The Romans invaded Britain in 43 AD. Around 50 AD they built a fort west of the River Derwent on the site of Belper Road. Then, about 80 AD, they built a new fort on the east bank of the river. The Romans called… Continue reading A History of Derby