Category: Articles

By Tim Lambert Early Somerton In 658 The Saxons defeated the older Roman-Celtic people and captured eastern Somerset. The Saxons gave Somerton its name. It was the summer tun. The Saxon word tun meant hamlet or farmstead. It is not clear why it was the summer hamlet. Perhaps people grazed cattle on the Levels during… Continue reading A History of Somerton

By Tim Lambert Early Soberton In the 6th century AD, a people called the Jutes from Denmark invaded central Hampshire. A tribe called the Meon settled there and they gave their name to the River Meon. They founded Soberton. At first, it was called Sud (South) bere (barley) tun (farm or settlement). By the time… Continue reading A History of Soberton

By Tim Lambert Shrewsbury in the Middle Ages Shrewsbury began as an Anglo-Saxon town. It was first mentioned in the year 901. Its place name ending ‘bury’ showed it was once a fortified settlement called a burgh. (The Saxons created a network of fortified settlements across England). Shrewsbury was probably protected by a ditch with… Continue reading A History of Shrewsbury

By Tim Lambert Sheffield in the Middle Ages Sheffield takes its name from the River Sheaf. It was once called the Sceaf, which means border so it was the border river. Sheffield was founded in the early 12th century by the Lord of the Manor, William de Lovetot. He built a castle on the site… Continue reading A History of Sheffield

By Tim Lambert Early Southport Southport is a seaside resort in Merseyside. Southport grew up from the end of the 18th century. At that time staying by the sea and bathing in seawater became fashionable among the rich and famous and several seaside towns were founded. Southport was founded in 1792 when an innkeeper named… Continue reading A History of Southport

By Tim Lambert Roman Southampton About 70 AD the Romans built a town on a bend in the River Itchen, where Bitterne now stands. The Roman town near Southampton was called Clausentum. The streets were laid out in a grid pattern and they were graveled. All the buildings in the Roman town were, at first,… Continue reading A History of Southampton

By Tim Lambert Early Austell St Austell takes its name from the Cornish Saint Austol. It is not mentioned in the Domesday Book (1086). It first appeared in writing in the mid-12th century. In the Middle Ages, St Austell was a very small market town. It probably had a population of only a few hundred.… Continue reading A History of St Austell

By Tim Lambert Roman St Albans The history of St Albans began about 20 BC when the local Celtic tribe built their capital there. It would have been a ‘town’ of wooden huts with thatched roofs surrounded by a ditch and an earth rampart with a wooden palisade. In 43 AD the Romans invaded Britain.… Continue reading A History of St Albans

By Tim Lambert Early Southwick The village of Southwick was founded by the Saxons. Southwick means a south dairy farm. At some point, the farm grew into a small village. However, Southwick is not mentioned in the Domesday Book. Perhaps it was too small to merit a mention. The village was first mentioned in the… Continue reading A History of Southwick, Hampshire

By Tim Lambert Early Stevenage Stevenage began as a Saxon village in 7th Century Hertfordshire. It was called Stith ac, which means strong oak. In those days trees were used as meeting places and perhaps one large oak used in that way gave Stevenage its name. At any rate by the time of the Domesday… Continue reading A History of Stevenage