Sunday 23 October 2016

An Old Geezer's Gazetteer

Every book should contain at least one list
and
every blog should have one too.
So...


...here's a list of East Anglian place-names 
that an ageing old fool
finds amusing or interesting...


Ugley, Cold Christmas, Good Easter,
 Pixie Green, Foxearth, Wormegay, Shelfanger,
 Westley Waterless, Stratton Strawless, Winfarthing,
 Blo' Norton, Pudding Norton, Puddledock,
Saddle Bow, Queen Adelaide, Melton Constable

and,
rather unexpectedly,

California.



Onehouse, Bumbles Green,
Margaret Roding, Kenny Hill,
Apes Hall, Bacon End,
Matching Tye, Matching Green,
Manea, (which is unfortunately pronounced Main-ee rather than Mania)
Hoo, Wix, Eyke, Steeple Bumpstead,
Rishangles, Rattlesden, Woolpit, Sweffling, 
Messing, Shellow Bowells,

and the rather tricky to pronounce

Happisburgh (HAZE'bro), Wymondham (WIND'em), Braughing (Braffing),
 Deopham (DEEP'em), and Belaugh (BEE'lo),

not to mention those sign-writers' nightmares,

Wiggenhall St Mary the Virgin 
and 
Wiggenhall St Mary Magdalen



 Nasty, Great and Little Snoring, Six Mile Bottom,
Ramsey Forty Foot, Kettlebaston, Prickwillow,
Wangford, Shipmeadow,  
Yelling, Sloley, Seething, Pidley, Three Holes,

as well as the quite beautiful

Walsham Le Willows, Gamlingay, Shingay-Cum-Wendy, 
Saffron Walden, 
Silverley and Layer de la Haye

Given a following wind we may visit some of them one day,
until then,


Take care.





24 comments:

  1. Odd names like these are always good for a smile. You have found quite a lot! Wouldn´t it be interesting to know where they originally came from..

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  2. A good collection of odd names. Be interesting to know how they came about.

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  3. Always good to raise a smile! I like spotting interesting places names on maps!

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  4. Very funny. Who makes up these names?

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  5. Knowing the origin of the names would be an interesting pursuit in itself!

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  6. This list and photos make me want to travel to England. Such fun! "Nasty" has taken on a whole new meaning in the US these days. It's very political, and we women wear it proudly!

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  7. Thank you for making my Monday morning so much brighter :)

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  8. That's a lot of interesting names!

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  9. I think I want to visit Steeple Bumpstead. I also like Bumbles Green. Not sure about Nasty though...

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  10. At first I thought, oh we don't have any fun names like this, but we do. I just need to pay attention more.

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  11. Hi John - fascinating names ... I love seeing them when I travel the lanes - and a while ago I bought a book on how the names came about ... love reading or checking in on that sort of thing.

    Happisburgh ... always interesting to pronounce - I've got it now! Cheers Hilary

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  12. Imagination run rampant...is life the same when you live in one of these wonderfully named places?

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  13. Truly a wonderful collection of village names.... I have spent quite it of time in Rattlesden and staying with my cousin in Woolpit! Beautiful little place. I was there last summer, blogged about it too.

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  14. I recognise some of these from when I lived in Peterborough, and from now living in Chelmsford. I wouldn't want to live in Nasty!

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  15. A great collection of amusing names. I thought nothing could beat "Cold Christmas", but finally "Great Snoring" and "Little Snoring" are my favourites.

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  16. Some of them are hilarious. I remember driving through Yorkshire and seeing a town called Giggleswick it made me giggle.

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  17. Know what you mean John.
    I came from a village in Somerset called "Compton Pauncefoot' how do you think I feel.{:))

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  18. Well yes I agree these are quirky names John but have you seen some of the Australian street and town names.. for example just one of thousands, many years ago we lived in the suburb of Innaloo, seriously! 😀

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  19. What wonderful names, beginning with the classic Cold Christmas.

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  20. Hih... so crazy names, I love them.

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  21. If I had a list, and I should start one, it would be street/road names. I keep thinking I am going to start taking pics of the signs but never do.

    I did enjoy your list....

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  22. Funny names! I love them, too!

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