Death of Kings

Place Names

The spelling of place names in Anglo-Saxon England was an uncertain business, with no consistency and no agreement even about the name itself. Thus London was variously rendered as Lundonia, Lundenberg, Lundenne, Lundene, Lundenwic, Lundenceaster and Lundres. Doubtless some readers will prefer other versions of the names listed below, but I have usually employed whichever spelling is cited in either the Oxford or the Cambridge Dictionary of English Place-Names for the years nearest to AD 900, but even that solution is not foolproof. Hayling Island, in 956, was written as both Heilincigae and Hæglingaiggæ. Nor have I been consistent myself; I should spell England as Englaland, and have preferred the modern form Northumbria to Nrhymbralond to avoid the suggestion that the boundaries of the ancient kingdom coincide with those of the modern county. So this list, like the spellings themselves, is capricious.

Baddan Byrig — Badbury Rings, Dorset

Beamfleot — Benfleet, Essex

Bebbanburg — Bamburgh, Northumberland

Bedanford — Bedford, Bedfordshire

Blaneford — Blandford Forum, Dorset

Buccingahamm — Buckingham, Bucks

Buchestanes — Buxton, Derbyshire

Ceaster — Chester, Cheshire

Cent — County of Kent

Cippanhamm — Chippenham, Wiltshire

Cirrenceastre — Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Contwaraburg — Canterbury, Kent

Cracgelad — Cricklade, Wiltshire

Cumbraland — Cumberland

Cyninges Tun — Kingston upon Thames, Greater London

Cytringan — Kettering, Northants

Dumnoc — Dunwich, Suffolk

Dunholm — Durham, County Durham

Eanulfsbirig — St Neot, Cambridgeshire

Eleg — Ely, Cambridgeshire

Eoferwic — York, Yorkshire (called Jorvik by the Danes)

Exanceaster — Exeter, Devon

Fagranforda — Fairford, Gloucestershire

Fearnhamme — Farnham, Surrey

Fifhidan — Fyfield, Wiltshire

Fughelness — Foulness Island, Essex

Gegnesburh — Gainsborough, Lincolnshire

Gleawecestre — Gloucester, Gloucestershire

Grantaceaster — Cambridge, Cambridgeshire

Hothlege, River — Hadleigh Ray, Essex

Hrofeceastre — Rochester, Kent

Humbre, River — River Humber

Huntandon — Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire

Liccelfeld — Lichfield, Staffordshire

Lindisfarena — Lindisfarne (Holy Island), Northumberland

Lundene — London

Medwæg, River — River Medway, Kent

Natangrafum — Notgrove, Gloucestershire

Oxnaforda — Oxford, Oxfordshire

Ratumacos — Rouen, Normandy, France

Rochecestre — Wroxeter, Shropshire

Sæfern — River Severn

Sarisberie — Salisbury, Wiltshire

Sceaftesburi — Shaftesbury, Dorset

Sceobyrig — Shoebury, Essex

Scrobbesburh — Shrewsbury, Shropshire

Snotengaham — Nottingham, Nottinghamshire

Sumorsæte — Somerset

Temes, River — River Thames

Thornsæta — Dorset

Tofeceaster — Towcester, Northamptonshire

Trente, River — River Trent

Turcandene — Turkdean, Gloucestershire

Tweoxnam — Christchurch, Dorset

Westune — Whitchurch, Shropshire

Wiltunscir — Wiltshire

Wimburnan — Wimborne, Dorset

Wintanceaster — Winchester, Hampshire

Wygraceaster — Worcester, Worcestershire