Category: Histories of British towns, villages and cities

By Tim Lambert Medieval Hartlepool About 640 AD a woman named Hieu founded a monastery on the site of Hartlepool. Soon a fishing village grew up nearby. The Danes destroyed the monastery in the 9th century but the village of Hartlepool continued through the centuries. The village was first mentioned in the year 1153. By… Continue reading A History of Hartlepool

By Tim Lambert Harwich in the Middle Ages Harwich was not mentioned in the Domesday Book so at that time if anyone lived there it must have been a very small settlement. (The name Harwich is believed to be derived from the old words here wic, meaning army camp because the Danes camped there in… Continue reading A History of Harwich

By Tim Lambert Early Hastings Hastings began as a Saxon settlement. It was called Haesta ingas, which means Haesta’s people. By the 10th century, Hastings had grown into a little market town. It even had its own mint. However, Hastings was very small with a population of only several hundred. In 1011 the Danes sacked… Continue reading A History of Hastings

By Tim Lambert Saxon Havant Havant was once Haman funta. Funta meant spring. Hama was a man and the ‘n’ at the end of his name indicated possession like our apostrophe s. So it was Hama’s spring. In time the name of the settlement changed to Havant. Denvilles derives its name from the Saxon word… Continue reading A History of Havant

By Tim Lambert Dedicated to Grace Cross Early Hayling Island At the time of the Domesday Book (1086), Hayling Island probably had a population of around 300. The Domesday Book also mentions a salt pan where salt was made. Making salt from seawater was an industry on Hayling Island for centuries. So were mackerel fishing,… Continue reading A History of Hayling Island

By Tim Lambert Saxon Hereford Hereford means the Ford used by the army. The Saxons arrived in this part of England in the 7th century and a settlement grew up at the ford. In 676 AD it was made the seat of a bishop. By 700 AD Hereford had grown into a town. In 760… Continue reading A History of Hereford

By Tim Lambert Hinckley in the Middle Ages Hinckley began as a Saxon settlement. It was probably called Hinca’s Leah (a Leah was a clearing in a wood). By the time of the Domesday Book (1086), Hinckley was quite a large village with a population of perhaps 300. It would seem tiny to us but… Continue reading A History of Hinckley

By Tim Lambert Early Hoddesdon The history of Hoddesdon began in Anglo-Saxon times. Hoddesdon began as a Saxon village. Its name was probably Hodda’s dun, which means Hodda’s Hill. At the time of the Domesday Book in 1086 Hoddesdon was a large village with a population of between 300 and 350. To us, it would… Continue reading A History of Hoddesdon

By Tim Lambert Early Hornchurch Hornchurch began as a small village in Essex. It was not mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 but there might have been a tiny hamlet at Hornchurch at that time. Certainly, a village grew up at Hornchurch by the middle of the 12th century. By about 1163 a church… Continue reading A History of Hornchurch

By Tim Lambert Early Horndean Horndean began as a little Saxon village. Its name may be a corruption of the Saxon words Hearman denu meaning dormouse valley. Horndean stood in a great forest that stretched from the border of Hampshire to Winchester. It was called the Forest of Bere. A track led through the forest… Continue reading A History of Horndean