Category: Histories of British towns, villages and cities

By Tim Lambert Early Copnor The Saxons settled on Portsea Island in the 6th century. One of them was called Coppa. He owned a stretch of shoreline, in the Saxon language an ora. Today we put an apostrophe ‘s’ at the end of a person’s name but the Saxons put the letter n so it… Continue reading A History of Copnor

By Tim Lambert Early Cosham Cosham started as a Saxon village in the 6th century. It was called Cossa’s ham, which meant Cossa’s village or estate. However, until the 19th century, Cosham was only a small village. At the time of the Domesday Book in 1086 England was divided into areas called manors. Cosham was… Continue reading A History of Cosham, Portsmouth

By Tim Lambert Coventry in the Middle Ages Coventry began as a Saxon village. It was called Coffantree, which means the tree belonging to Coffa. Trees were often used as meeting places. In this case, a settlement grew up around the tree and it eventually became called Coventry. Then in 1043 Leofric, the local Earl,… Continue reading A History of Coventry

By Tim Lambert Old Crawley Crawley began as a Saxon village. It was originally called crow leah. The old English word leah meant a clearing so it was the clearing with crows. However, by the 13th century, Crawley had grown into a small market town. (This was partly because it lay on an important road… Continue reading A History of Crawley

By Tim Lambert Early Crewkerne The name Crewkerne is believed to be derived from words meaning house by a hill. The house may have been an important building. At any rate, a settlement grew up around it. Crewkerne was first mentioned in history in the late 9th century. By the 11th century, Crewkerne was an… Continue reading A History of Crewkerne

By Tim Lambert Early Darlington Darlington began as a small village. It first appeared in writing in the early 11th century when it was called Dearthingtun. Its name was probably originally Deornoth ing tun. Deaornoth was a man. The word ‘ing’ meant belonging to and tun meant farm or hamlet. So it was the estate… Continue reading A History of Darlington

By Tim Lambert Early Denmead Denmead began as a Saxon settlement. Its name was originally denu mead or meadow in a small valley. In Saxon times and for long afterward it was an isolated place that stood in the Forest of Bere, which stretched from the Sussex border to Winchester. Stoneacre is believed to be… Continue reading A History of Denmead

By Tim Lambert Roman Derby Derby began as a Roman fort. The Romans invaded Britain in 43 AD. Around 50 AD they built a fort west of the River Derwent on the site of Belper Road. Then, about 80 AD, they built a new fort on the east bank of the river. The Romans called… Continue reading A History of Derby

By Tim Lambert Devizes in the Middle Ages Devizes is a market town in Wiltshire. In 1080, a motte and bailey castle was built at Devizes. Because the castle was built where 3 manors met, it was called Castrum ad divisas, Latin for castle at the boundaries. The name later changed to Devizes. The original… Continue reading A History of Devizes

By Tim Lambert The Roman Fort at Doncaster The history of Doncaster began when the Romans built a fort in the area about 71 AD. The Romans called the fort Danum. However, in the 4th century Roman civilisation declined and the last Roman soldiers left Britain in 407 AD. After the Romans left a village… Continue reading A History of Doncaster