By Tim Lambert Early Botley Botley is a thriving village in Hampshire. Centuries ago the Romans built a road from Chichester to a town near Southampton. The road passed the site of modern Botley and a settlement grew up there. However, the present settlement at Botley began as a Saxon village. Its name means Botta’s… Continue reading A History of Botley
Category: Histories of British towns, villages and cities
A History of Bournemouth
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
A History of Bradford
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
A History of Bridgwater
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
A History of Bridport
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
A History of Brighton
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
A History of Bristol
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
A History of Buckland
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
A History of Buriton
By Tim Lambert Early Buriton Buriton began as a Saxon settlement. It was originally called burh tun, which means the farm or 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
A History of Bury St Edmunds
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