Stenlake Publishing - The Place Names of County Durham
The Place Names of County Durham
Author : Paul Chrystal ISBN : 9781840338713 Cover : paperback Price : £13.95
In his introduction, the author explains how the county’s place names are influenced by its history, even before the 1st-century Roman occupation, when it was lived in by the Brigantes who spoke a hybrid form of Celtic (a mixture of British and Irish Gaelic). This was followed by the Angles and the Saxons speaking a form of early English, which then assimilated some Latin and Norman-French. Early place names reflect natural features or ownership by a particular person. Besides giving some historical background to each town or village featured, including the wonderful No Place, Paul explains the most likely origin of the name. There's a small section on notable hills too, and a chapter on pub names. This is a great book to dip in and out of for interesting wee snippets. You'll learn plenty!
