Category: Histories of British towns, villages and cities

By Tim Lambert The Development of Bournemouth Until the early 19th century the area where Bournemouth now stands was just heathland where cattle grazed. Then in 1810, a man named Tregonwell visited the beach with his wife. She loved the area and persuaded him to build a house there. He purchased 8 1/2 acres and… Continue reading A History of Bournemouth

By Tim Lambert Bradford in the Middle Ages Bradford began as a village by a ford. Brad meant broad. By the time of the Domesday Book in 1086, the village by the broad ford had grown quite large (by the standards of the time) with perhaps 300-350 people. Bradford was turned into a town when… Continue reading A History of Bradford

By Tim Lambert Bridgwater in the Middle Ages Bridgwater began as a Saxon village in Somerset. At the time of the Domesday Book (1086), Bridgwater probably had a population of about 160, which made it a fairly large village. At that time Bridgwater had a watermill where grain was ground into flour to make bread… Continue reading A History of Bridgwater

By Tim Lambert Early Bridport Bridport was once an important settlement. In the late 9th century Alfred the Great created a network of fortified settlements across his kingdom called burhs. In the event of a Danish attack, all the men from the area could gather together in the local burh to fight. Bridport was one… Continue reading A History of Bridport

By Tim Lambert Early Brighton Brighton began as a small Saxon village. The Saxons landed in Sussex in the 5th century AD and they founded the kingdom of Sussex including the village of Brighton. It was once called Beorthelm’s tun (Beorthelm’s farm or village). Centuries later it grew into the city of Brighton. Fishermen lived… Continue reading A History of Brighton

By Tim Lambert Saxon Bristol Bristol began life as a village called Brigg stow, which means the meeting place at the bridge in the old Saxon language. At some point, a wooden bridge was erected across the Avon. (Avon is a Celtic word meaning ‘water’). The bridge was used as a meeting place and a… Continue reading A History of Bristol

By Tim Lambert Buckland was founded by the Saxons who came from what is now Germany. They invaded Hampshire in the early 6th century. They settled on Portsea Island and they founded three villages. One was called boche (meaning book) land. In Saxon times any written document was called a book and if the king… Continue reading A History of Buckland, Portsmouth

By Tim Lambert Early Buriton Buriton began as a Saxon settlement. It was originally called burh tun, which means the farm of hamlet by the fort (burh). The fort in question may have been a much older, iron age fort on Butser Hill. At the time of the Domesday Book in 1086 England was divided… Continue reading A History of Buriton

By Tim Lambert Anglo-Saxon Bury St Edmunds Bury St Edmunds began as an Anglo-Saxon settlement called Bedric’s worth. Worth was a Saxon word meaning an enclosure such as a farm or hamlet surrounded by a stockade. In 630 Sigebert the king of East Anglia founded a monastery there. In the 9th century, Edmund was king… Continue reading A History of Bury St Edmunds

By Tim Lambert Saxon Cambridge In the Bronze Age and the Iron Age, there were settlements on the site of Cambridge. Then in the 1st century AD, the Romans built a fort on Castle Hill. However, this fort was abandoned at the beginning of the 5th century AD as the Roman Empire declined. The modern… Continue reading A History of Cambridge