Category: Histories of British towns, villages and cities

By Tim Lambert Early Wincanton Today Wincanton is a pretty village in Somerset but it was once an important market town. It was once called wincawel tun. The word wincawel is Celtic and means white cawel (cawel being the original name of the River Cale. Perhaps the water once rushed past and looked white.) A… Continue reading A History of Wincanton

By Tim Lambert Roman Winchester Winchester began as a Roman town. It was built around 70 AD. The Romans called the new town Venta Belgarum which means the capital of the Belgares (who were the local Celtic tribe before the Roman conquest). Roman Winchester was made a civitas or regional capital. Roman Winchester was built… Continue reading A History of Winchester

By Tim Lambert Early Windsor Windsor began as a Saxon village. The name Windsor is believed to be a corruption of the Saxon words ‘windlass Oran’ meaning a bank with a windlass. After the Saxons founded the settlement it grew into a town because of its position by a river. In those days it was… Continue reading A History of Windsor

By Tim Lambert Early Winkleigh Winkleigh gets its name from two Saxon words. The word wincel meant a corner and the word Leah meant a clearing in a forest. So it was wincel Leah the corner clearing. William the Conqueror gave the manor of Winkleigh to his wife Matilda. At the time of the Domesday… Continue reading A History of Winkleigh

By Tim Lambert Medieval Wisbech The town of Wisbech began as a village. Its name may mean the bank (bec) by the marshy meadow (Wisc). By the time of the Domesday Book (1086), Wisbech was a large village. It probably had a population of about 350. By the standards of the time, Wisbech was quite… Continue reading A History of Wisbech

By Tim Lambert Early Wolverhampton The story of Wolverhampton begins in 985 when a Saxon lady named Wulfruna was given land at Heanton. In 994 she founded a minster church (a church with a monastery attached). The settlement by the monastery grew larger and in time its name changed to Wulfruna’s Heanton and later to… Continue reading A History of Wolverhampton

By Tim Lambert Roman Worcester The city of Worcester was founded by the Romans about 50 AD. It stood on the Roman road from Wroxeter to Gloucester so a considerable amount of traffic passed through. Soon Worcester was a flourishing little town. In Roman Worcester, there were many craftsmen such as blacksmiths, carpenters, bakers, and… Continue reading A History of Worcester

By Tim Lambert Early Worthing Worthing began as a Saxon village. It may have been called Worth or Wurtha ingas which means the settlement (belonging to) the people of Worth or Wurtha. Whatever the origin of its name for centuries Worthing was just a hamlet where farmers lived. However, in the 18th century, its fortunes… Continue reading A History of Worthing

By Tim Lambert Wrexham in the Middle Ages In the 1990s evidence was discovered of a small Roman settlement at Wrexham. However, the modern town grew up in the Middle Ages. Wrexham was first mentioned in writing in the 12th century. At the beginning of the 13th century, the Lord of the Manor gave some… Continue reading A History of Wrexham

By Tim Lambert Yeovil in the Middle Ages Yeovil was founded in the 8th century after the Saxons conquered this part of Somerset. What does the name Yeovil Mean? It is believed to be a corruption of the Celtic word Gifl, meaning forked river. In time the village of Yeovil grew into a little town.… Continue reading A History of Yeovil