English Place-Names Explained (England's Living History)

Scrooby, Potters Bar, Stansted Mountfitchet, Melbury Bubb, White Ladies Aston, Lugwardine. Every name, like every word, has an origin. But how many of us really know how our towns, cities and villages got their names?

In this easy-to-understand reference book, author Charles Whynne-Hammond takes you on a journey through time, uncovering the origins of place-names throughout England, many of which date back over 2,000 years.

- How did the Saxons come up with the name Blubberhouses?

- What was the literary inspiration behind the naming of Westward Ho!?

- Has Bakewell got anything to do with baking?

- Is Wolverhampton named after wolves? And why is their football team named the Wanderers?

- Why does Westonzoyland in Somerset have a distinctly Dutch ring to it?

All of that and much more is answered here.

The book is divided into two sections. The first charts the evolution of place-names and provides practical advice for anyone looking to undertake further study. The second contains a county-by-county list of the main place-names and their origins.

There's even a look at the names of some cinemas, theatres, football clubs and shopping centres.

WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT:

• EASY TO READ - Chapters & sections designed so that the book can either be read continuously or dipped into at random
• UNCOVER YOUR OWN LOCAL HISTORY - Ever wondered how your city, town or village got its name? Section B has a county-by-county list of key place-names to check
• COMMON PLACE-NAME ELEMENTS - Learn how to break down place-names in order to understand their meaning
• CHOCK-FULL OF AMAZING FACTS - Find out how Cockneys & Geordies got their names; how Vikings & Saxons influenced the names we see around us today; the meaning behind common pub names; the origin of football team names; and much more 

CONTENTS

PREFACE

SECTION A – THE HERITAGE AND EVOLUTION OF PLACE-NAMES

1. THE STUDY OF PLACE-NAMES: RESEARCH & UNDERSTANDING

• Introduction; Undertaking Research; Sources; Linguistic Developments; Interpreting Source Material
• (a) The Formation of Names (b) Compound Names (c) Misleading Names (d) Misleading Spellings 

2. THE BLENDING OF LANGUAGES: MIGRATION & CONSOLIDATION

• Introduction; The Mixing of Tongues; The Celtic Fringe; The Saxon Kingdoms; Danelaw; The Development of Shires; The Consolidation of Counties; County Sub-Divisions

3. COMMUNICATION: TRACKS, WAYS & ROADS

• Ancient Trackways; Roman Roads; Trading Routes; Non-Trading Routes; Turnpikes and Toll Roads

4. THE NATURAL WORLD: LANDSCAPE & NATURE

• Topographical Features; Directional Names; Climatic Names; Rivers and Estuaries; Coastal Areas; Forest Names; Tree and Plant Names; Animal Names

5. THE NATURE OF SOCIETY: CULTURE & BELIEF

• Folk and Tribal Names; Personal Names; Group Names; Pagan Names; Christian Names; Death and Burial Names; Folklore and Legend Names

6. THE NEEDS OF SOCIETY: CO-OPERATION & PROTECTION

• The Spread of Agriculture ;Enclosure Names; Estate Names; Fortified Settlement Names; Colonisation Names; Bastide Towns 

7. THE WEALTH OF SOCIETY: INDUSTRY & TRADE 

• Transport Names; Market Names; Mineral Names; Industrial Revolution Names; Resort Names; Urban Names 

8. NAMES WITHIN TOWNS AND VILLAGES

• Street Names; House Names; Pub Names; Theatre and Cinema Names

SECTION B - COUNTY BY COUNTY PLACE-NAMES EXPLAINED

COMMON PLACE-NAME ELEMENTS