Linking Shire
Place names of Lincolnshire
Aby, Beesby
Atterby Beck and Brattleby;
Clixby, Claxby
Haxey, Saxby
Hannah cum Hagnaby
Humby, Mumby, Brumby and Tumby.
Utterby, Sutterby
Snitterby, Swinderby
Scamblesby, Scremby;
Horbling, Spalding, Stragglethorpe and Legbourne
Spridlington, Friskney, Stickney and Great Limber.
Ulceby Skitter, Kettleby Beck
Butterbump Bridge to Brokenback;
Whisby, Sibsey, Wigsley, Spilsby
Roxby cum Risby, Ranby and Spanby.
Scunthorpe, Gunthorpe
Kettlethorpe, Theddlethorpe
Yaddlethorpe and Addlethorpe.
Belchford, Muckton
Bitchfield and Pinchbeck
Market Deeping, River Steeping
Grimsby, Riddings and Brigg.
Wrangle, Wressle
Skegger Beck and Skitter Ness
Scawby Brook, Wrawby Moor
Whaplode Drove and Whisby Pits.
Fodder Dike, Woody Nook
Grey Green, Long Screed, Carlton Scroop
Scotter, Odder and Fockerby;
Scampton, Grantham
Langton-by-Wragby and Irby-upon-Humber
Ashby Puerorum, and the Ludfords - Parva & Magna.
© Germander Speedwell, March 2006
Hardly a ‘linking shire’ these days, Lincolnshire is actually one of the more isolated and least known of England’s counties. Its place names, however (as everywhere in Britain), combine elements from different historical periods and occupations, especially the Vikings, who added ‘-by’ to a large proportion of its place names, and ‘-thorpe’ to many others (‘by’ meaning settlement, and ‘thorpe’ meaning an outlying farm or village).
Germander Speedwell
Place Names
List of pieces, and a few sample lines from each:
GRID FEEDERS and DUMMY BREAKERS
The dying tradition of identifying local electricity substations by giving them names, usually naming them after their location or site, and often using old or obsolete site or field names.
"...Rackham Rectory, Nutbourne Nursery
Hardham Borehole, Parham Sawmills
Molesworth Cottages and Horsenden Moorings..."
THE RISE AND FALL OF THE LOWER HOPE
Reaches and features of the Thames Estuary (from the Soundings from the Estuary project).
"Long Reach to Oaze Deep, Halfway Road to Middle Ground
Small Gains, Great Lines, the tide turns, the Hope rises..."
THE HOW, WHAT, WHERE AND WHY OF HOO
The lesser-known history and activity of the little-known Hoo Peninsula (from the Soundings from the Estuary project).
"...Lookers, overseers, muddies and smugglers, birders, boaters, anglers and caravanners;
Mudflats to saltmarsh to cliff of chalk ridge, launching of seaplanes and assembly of airships..."
EVER BEEN TO...?
A playful assembling of some of Britain's best place names, but can you tell which of them are real and which are made up, or not places at all?
"...Eccles, Beccles, Wroxeter or Uttoxeter
Itchin Abbas, Toller Porcorum, Marston Magna or Portly Decorum... "
NOT MOCKING, JUST MESSING
The delightful and evocative place names of Essex.
"...Bocking and Barking, Fobbing and Frating, Stebbing and Epping..."
ESTUARY ENGLISH
Features of the English coast and sea - from cliffs and coves to channels.
"...Dancing Ledge, Durdle Door, Boggle Hole and Baggy Leap..."
LINKING SHIRE
Place names of Lincolnshire. See below for full version.
"...Horbling, Spalding, Stragglethorpe and Legbourne
Spridlington, Friskney, Stickney and Great Limber..."
DANGER AREAS OF SURREY
Ordnance Survey maps reveal some curious or appropriately named features in the military training areas hidden in Surrey.
" ... Ricochet Hill, Romping Downs, Hangman's Hill and the Devil's Pound..."
SNIGGLE WAYS
A tour of York's curiously-named pedestrian passages, the 'snickleways'.
"...Precipitate to Gillygate, Lollop along Jubbergate, and loop left at Lop Lane..."
THWING, THONG
In what curious and otherwordly land would you find these place names?
"...Ogle, Probus, Mutrix, Orcop; Witcha, Wigwig, Wigtwizzle, Wetwang..."
(Answer on application, or see if you can find out yourself...)
COMPLIMENTS TO HEART'S CONTENT
See Maritime page.