Category: Histories of British towns, villages and cities

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

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

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 Early Calne Calne is a market town in Winchester. Its name is derived from the Celtic words Col-aun, meaning “meeting of the waters”. Calne was first mentioned in a document about 955. In 978, a council of powerful men called the Witan met in Calne. However, the upper floor of the hall they… Continue reading A History of Calne

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

By Tim Lambert Early Canterbury Canterbury started as an Iron Age settlement. It was an important centre for the local Celtic tribe, the Cantiaci in the first century AD. In 43 AD the Romans invaded Britain. Late in the 1st century, they took over the Celtic settlement and rebuilt it. The Romans called the new… Continue reading A History of Canterbury

By Tim Lambert The Roman Fort at Cardiff Cardiff began as a Roman fort. The Romans invaded Wales about 50 AD and about 55 AD they built a fort on the site of Cardiff. In the late 1st century the fort was reduced in size as Wales was now at peace. However, in the mid-3rd… Continue reading A History of Cardiff

By Tim Lambert Roman Carlisle Carlisle began as a Roman town called Luguvalium. The Romans invaded Britain in 43 AD and about 78 AD the governor, Agricola, built a wooden fort on the site of Carlisle. Soon a civilian settlement grew up nearby. The soldiers in the fort provided a market for the townspeople’s goods.… Continue reading A History of Carlisle