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Rob Faleer Posts: 703 Joined: 10th Jun 2005 Location: USA | quotePosted at 23:41 on 10th September 2009 I've always been interested in placenames, so I'm starting this thread in order to pull in as many odd and unusual English and Welsh village names as possible. I recently spent some time staying in Saffron Walden (Essex) and there are many nearby villages and hamlets that merit a mention here: In Hertfordshire: Nasty, Green Tye, Ugley, Ugley Green, Cradle End, Duck End In Essex: Matching Tye, Shellow Bowells, Loves Green, Nine Ashes In Cambridgeshire: Yelling, Bumble's Green All very interesting and ultimately charming village names. It would be fascinating to trace the origin of these names if I only had the time to do so! |
Paul Hilton Posts: 2605 Joined: 21st Nov 2004 Location: UK | quotePosted at 01:57 on 11th September 2009 Tiddlywink, Wiltshire I've always thought a bit unusual. |
Debbie Adams Posts: 2043 Joined: 8th Mar 2009 Location: USA | quotePosted at 03:35 on 11th September 2009 "Cockfosters"is one that comes to mind the most from our trip there were several others but cant think of them right know |
Stephanie Jackson Posts: 3911 Joined: 13th Apr 2008 Location: UK | quotePosted at 07:10 on 11th September 2009 We pass lots along the way - will have a think! here are some off the top of my head - Mousehole in Cornwall Wyre Piddle and Pinvin in Worcestershire. |
Rob Faleer Posts: 703 Joined: 10th Jun 2005 Location: USA | quotePosted at 11:34 on 11th September 2009 Then there's the Welsh (a substantial portion of my own ancestry)! My favorite Welsh town name is in Anglesey: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch Translation: The church of St. Mary in the hollow of white hazel trees near the rapid whirlpool by St. Tysilio's of the red cave. According to the BBC, the original name for this village was Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll, which means 'The Mary church by the pool near the white hazels,' but in the 19th century the name was substatially lengthened in order to draw in the tourist trade (visitors could have their photograph taken by the placard with the town name written on it!). The scheme appears to have been somewhat successful. Yikes! |
Rob Faleer Posts: 703 Joined: 10th Jun 2005 Location: USA | quotePosted at 13:59 on 11th September 2009 Here are a couple more: Goosey (Oxfordshire) Halfway (Berkshire)--halfway to where? Over (Cambridgeshire--lovely 13th c. church, though much restored by the Victorians; beautiful Victorian stained glass) |
Diana Sinclair Posts: 10119 Joined: 3rd Apr 2008 Location: USA | quotePosted at 14:10 on 11th September 2009 What a great idea for a thread, Rob. I agree with you, it would be fun to find out what the origin of some of these names are. We even have a few odd ones in the US: Of yep that is it, Pennsylvania |
Paul Hilton Posts: 2605 Joined: 21st Nov 2004 Location: UK | quotePosted at 14:11 on 11th September 2009 Well, its its the same Halfway I'm thinking of Rob, its halfway to Hungerford or halfway to Newbury depending on which way you're going. Though I suspect isn't not really halfway to either. Two more in Berkshire----Amen Corner and Inkpen. Edited by: Paul Hilton at:11th September 2009 14:24 |
Jason T Posts: 7421 Joined: 14th Apr 2004 Location: UK | quotePosted at 16:34 on 11th September 2009 Upper Dicker, East Sussex Twatt, Shetlands Shitterton, Dorset Upper and Lower Slaughter, Cotswolds Crackpot, North Yorkshire |
Rob Faleer Posts: 703 Joined: 10th Jun 2005 Location: USA | quotePosted at 16:35 on 11th September 2009 On 11th September 2009 14:10, Diana Sinclair wrote:
Thanks, Diana. Of course, there is always Hell, Michigan. There is also Christmas, Michigan way up in the Upper Peninsula where many people send their Christmas cards to be postmarked! |