Category: Histories of British towns, villages and cities

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 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 civilization declined and the last Roman soldiers left Britain in 407 AD. After the Romans left a village… Continue reading A History of Doncaster

By Tim Lambert Roman Dorchester Dorchester was founded by the Romans. (Although the area was inhabited for thousands of years before they arrived. Stone age farmers erected the enclosure known as Maumbury Rings). The Romans invaded Southeast England in 43 AD and they quickly subdued the area we now call Dorset. By about 60 AD… Continue reading A History of Dorchester

By Tim Lambert Roman Dover Dover is the gateway to England. Because of its strategic position, Dover has always been an important port. In Roman times Dover was an important harbor. The Romans built a stone fort to protect it and a civilian settlement grew up nearby. It was called Dubris. In 1971 a Roman… Continue reading A History of Dover

By Tim Lambert In the 6th century AD, the Saxons landed in Hampshire and they founded a number of villages. One of them was called Dray tun. The Saxon word tun meant farm or settlement and dray meant drag. It is not certain what they dragged. Perhaps boats were dragged onto the shore. Farlington was… Continue reading A History of Drayton and Farlington

By Tim Lambert Early Droxford Before 2,000 BC Neolithic (stone-age) farmers lived in the Droxford area. They built a long barrow (a burial chamber) on the site of the village. Much later in the 6th century AD, a people called the Jutes from Denmark invaded central Hampshire. A tribe called the Meon settled in the… Continue reading A History of Droxford

By Tim Lambert Dudley in the Middle Ages Dudley began as a Saxon village. It was originally called Dudda’s leah. The Saxon word leah meant a clearing in a forest. Dudley later became known as the capital of the Black Country. In the 11th century, a castle was built at Dudley. At first, it was… Continue reading A History of Dudley

By Tim Lambert Early Dumfries The Scottish king William the Lion made Dumfries a Royal Burgh in 1186. In the late 12th century a castle was built in Dumfries but it was demolished in the early 14th century. In 1395 Robert III gave Dumfries a charter. (In the Middle Ages a charter was a document… Continue reading A History of Dumfries

By Tim Lambert Dundee in the Middle Ages Dundee grew up as a small port in the 11th and 12th centuries. Its name may be derived from the words Dun Diagh (Dun meant fort). In 1191 King William gave Dundee a charter. That was a document granting the townspeople certain rights. It gave them the… Continue reading A History of Dundee

By Tim Lambert Roman Dunstable Dunstable began as a Roman town. Long before the Romans came to Britain there was a track called the Icknield Way, which crossed the middle of England. In the 2nd century, the Romans built a road called Watling Street, which crossed Icknield Way at the point where Dunstable stands today.… Continue reading A History of Dunstable