Category: Articles

By Tim Lambert Saxon Bradford on Avon Bradford means broad ford. Avon is from Afon, the Celtic word for river. The Celts were the original inhabitants of what is now England, but the Anglo-Saxons invaded Eastern England in the 5th century, and they gradually pushed westwards. Bradford on Avon was first mentioned in the year… Continue reading A History of Bradford on Avon

By Tim Lambert Early Wakefield Wakefield in Yorkshire began as an Anglo-Saxon settlement. It was probably Waca’s feld, meaning Waca’s area of open land. At the time of the Domesday Book in 1086, Wakefield was a tiny village. However, by the 13th century, it had grown into a small market town. It also had annual… Continue reading A History of Wakefield

Early St Neots The name St Neots is derived from St Neot, a Cornish hermit who lived in the 9th century. In 974, monks brought his bones to St Neot. They built a priory (a small monastery), called St Neots Priory. A small village grew up by the priory and was named after it.  At… Continue reading A History of St Neots

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 Early Huntingdon Huntingdon began as an Anglo-Saxon and Danish settlement. Its name was probably Huntandun, which means the hill (dun) belonging to Hunta. By the 10th century, it was a small town.  There has been a church in Huntingdon since 973 but All Saints Church was largely rebuilt in the early 17th… Continue reading A History of Huntingdon

By Tim Lambert Early Melksham The town of Melksham in Wiltshire began as a Saxon village. Its name was probably once meolc ham, which means milk settlement. There must have been a dairy farm there. At the time of the Domesday Book, Melksham probably had a population of about 850. By the standards of the… Continue reading A History of Melksham

By Tim Lambert Early Marlborough Marlborough is a market town in Wiltshire. It began as an Anglo-Saxon settlement. We are not sure what its name meant, but ‘borough’ is probably a corruption of ‘beorg’, meaning hill or mound. The ‘marl’ may have come from a man’s name. Maybe it was Mærla’s mound. Or it may… Continue reading A History of Marlborough

By Tim Lambert Early Wellingborough Wellingborough began as an Anglo-Saxon settlement. It was once called Waendel’s burh, which means Waendel’s fortified settlement. At the time of the Domesday Book in 1086, Wellingborough probably had a population of about 250. By the standards of the time, it was a large village. (A typical village would be… Continue reading A History of Wellingborough

By Tim Lambert Early Newark-on-Trent Newark-on-Trent began as a fortified Anglo-Saxon settlement. Its name comes from Old English words meaning “new fort”. At the time of the Domesday Book in 1086, it may have had a population of about 350. By the standards of the time, it was a large village. After 1092, it belonged… Continue reading A History of Newark-on-Trent