The Book of English Place Names: How Our Towns and Villages Got Their Names by Caroline Taggart


The Book of English Place Names: How Our Towns and Villages Got Their Names
Title : The Book of English Place Names: How Our Towns and Villages Got Their Names
Author :
Rating :
ISBN : 1409034984
ISBN-10 : 9781409034988
Language : English
Format Type : Kindle Edition
Number of Pages : 327
Publication : First published April 28, 2011

Take a journey down winding lanes and Roman roads in this witty and informative guide to the meanings behind the names of England's towns and villages. From Celtic farmers to Norman conquerors, right up to the Industrial Revolution, deciphering our place names reveals how generations of our ancestors lived, worked, travelled and worshipped, and how their influence has shaped our landscape.From the most ancient sacred sites to towns that take their names from stories of giants and knights, learn how Roman garrisons became our great cities, and discover how a meeting of the roads could become a thriving market town. Region by region, Caroline Taggart uncovers hidden meanings to reveal a patchwork of tall tales and ancient legends that collectively tells the story of how we made England.

The Book of English Place Names: How Our Towns and Villages Got Their Names Reviews

  • G. Lawrence

    Interesting, light read

  • Emma Dargue

    Standard go to guide for the history of place names. Would recomend that you dip in and out of this one instead of trying to read as a straight through narrative. Interesting book though.

  • Caitlin

    Charming book..... its fun to ponder, a little, the origin of names...
    Snape, Sodbury and Spennymoor......Pease Pottage, Hedge End and Great Snoring.... you will find yourself delighting in the explanations and will take to wandering the house muttering odd English town names.
    Quy, Ingleby Greenhow,Cockermouth, Hetton-le-hole, Belper and Bootle.
    Delightful.

  • John Peel

    A wonderful (and frequently funny) look at what town and village names in England mean. She also adds a sort of "how to" section so that you can take the principles she mentions and apply them to names that aren't in the book. Excellent reading for all.

  • Peter Foster

    Entertainingly light read but overall I was left disappointed that too much seemed to be - no one is quite certain really about why this strange name exists. Good to be acquainted with naming conventions and old words that mean something different to the obvious but generally no where near as informative as I anticipated it was going to be.