Category: Articles

By Tim Lambert Early Shepton Mallet There was a Bronze Age settlement on the site of the village of Shepton Mallet. In 1995 the remains of Bronze Age homes and pottery were found in Shepton Mallet. Furthermore, Maesbury Ring, an Iron Age hill fort stands north of the town. Later Shepton Mallet lay just west… Continue reading A History of Shepton Mallet

By Tim Lambert Dedicated to June Mason 1928-2011 Saxon and Medieval Kingston Upon Thames Kingston Upon Thames was once the king’s tun or estate. In Saxon times it had royal connections. In 838 King Egbert of Wessex called a church council there. Furthermore, several Saxon kings were crowned in Kingston, including Edward the Elder (900),… Continue reading A History of Kingston Upon Thames

By Tim Lambert King’s Lynn in the Middle Ages King’s Lynn was once called Bishop’s Lynn because it belonged to a bishop. (Bishops Lynn became King’s Lynn in the 16th century). The word Lynn means pool and probably refers to a tidal pool on the Ouse. By the end of the 11th century, a little… Continue reading A History of King’s Lynn

By Tim Lambert Medieval Kettering Kettering began as an Anglo-Saxon village. Its name was Ketter ingas, which means the people of Ketter. Kettering was first mentioned in history in the year 956. Then in 972, the manor of Kettering was granted to the abbey at Peterborough. By the time of the Domesday Book in 1086… Continue reading A History of Kettering

By Tim Lambert Launceston in the Middle Ages The name Launceston is made up of Celtic and Saxon words. Lann meant church in Cornish. So it was the Lann of St Stephen. The ‘ton’ comes from the Saxon word ‘tun’ which meant farm, hamlet, or estate. By the time of the Norman conquest in 1066,… Continue reading A History of Launceston

By Tim Lambert Leeds in the Middle Ages Leeds began as a Saxon village. By the time of the Domesday Book (1086), it had a population of around 200. By the standards of the time, Leeds was quite a large village. Many were much smaller. Then in 1207 the Lord of the Manor, Maurice De… Continue reading A History of Leeds

By Tim Lambert Saxon Lichfield Lichfield began as an Anglo-Saxon village. The name Lichfield may be a corruption of Letocetum meaning grey wood. Or it may be a corruption of Lece feld meaning a small stream (lece) by the open land (feld). In the year 669, the Bishop of Mercia (roughly the Midlands of England)… Continue reading A History of Lichfield

By Tim Lambert Early Lewes Lewes began as a Saxon village. The Saxons invaded East Sussex in the 5th century. Lewes was probably founded in the 6th century. (The name Lewes is probably derived from a Saxon word, ‘hluews’ which meant slopes or hills). Later the Saxons made Lewes a town. In the late 9th… Continue reading A History of Lewes

By Tim Lambert Roman Leicester Leicester probably started as a Celtic settlement. It was the capital of the local Celtic tribe, the Corieltauvi. The Romans invaded Britain in 43 AD and they captured Leicestershire by 47 AD. The Romans built a fort at Leicester in 48 AD. The Celtic settlement nearby prospered as the Roman… Continue reading A History of Leicester

By Tim Lambert Early Littlehampton Littlehampton was founded by the Saxons. They landed at Pevensey in the 5th century and they carved out the kingdom of the South Saxons (Sussex). The Saxons founded a small settlement by the mouth of the River Arun. It was called hamm tun, which means the farm or hamlet by… Continue reading A History of Littlehampton