English Place-Names Explained

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