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 whatever spelling is cited in theOxford Dictionary of English Place- Names for the years nearest or contained within Alfred’s reign,A . D. 871–899, 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 have preferred the modern England to Englaland and, instead of Nor hymbralond, have used Northumbria 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.
Æbbanduna
Abingdon, Berkshire
Æsc’s Hill
Ashdown, Berkshire
Baðum (pronounced Bathum)
Bath, Avon
Basengas
Basing, Hampshire
Beamfleot
Benfleet, Essex
Beardastopol
Barnstable, Devon
Bebbanburg
Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland
Berewic
Berwick on Tweed, Northumberland
Berrocscire
Berkshire
Blaland
North Africa
Cantucton
Cannington, Somerset
Cetreht
Catterick, Yorkshire
Cippanhamm
Chippenham, Wiltshire
Cirrenceastre
Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Cridianton
Crediton, Devon
Cynuit
Cynuit Hillfort, near Cannington, Somerset
Contwaraburg
Canterbury, Kent
Cornwalum
Cornwall
Dalriada
Western Scotland
Deoraby
Derby, Derbyshire
Defnascir
Devonshire
Dic
Diss, Norfolk
Dunholm
Durham, County Durham
Eoferwic
York (also the Danish Jorvic, pronounced Yorvik)
Exanceaster
Exeter, Devon
Fromtun
Frampton- upon- Severn, Gloucestershire
Gegnesburh
Gainsborough, Lincolnshire
The Gewæsc
The Wash
Gleawecestre
Gloucester, Gloucestershire
Grantaceaster
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
Gyruum Jarrow,
County Durham
Hamanfunta
Havant, Hampshire
Hamptonscir
Hampshire
Hamtun
Southampton, Hampshire
Haithabu
Hedeby, trading town in southern Denmark
Heilincigae
Hayling Island, Hampshire
Hreapandune
Repton, Derbyshire
Kenet
River Kennet
Ledecestre
Leicester
Lindisfarena
Lindisfarne (Holy Island), Northumberland
Lundene
London
Mereton
Marten, Wiltshire
Meslach
Matlock, Derbyshire
Pedredan
River Parrett
The Poole
Poole Harbour, Dorset
Pictland
Eastern Scotland
Readingum
Reading, Berkshire
Sæfern
River Severn
Scireburnan
Sherborne, Dorset
Snotengaham
Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
Streonshall
Strensall, Yorkshire
Sumorsæte
Somerset
Suth Seaxa
Sussex (South Saxons)
Synningthwait
Swinithwaite, Yorkshire
Temes
River Thames
Thornsæta
Dorset
Tine
River Tine
Trente
River Trente
Tuede
River Tweed
Twyfyrde
Tiverton, Devon
Uisc
River Exe
Werham
Wareham, Dorset
With
Isle of Wight
Wiire
River Wear
Wiltun
Wilton, Wiltshire
Wiltunscir
Wiltshire
Winburnan
Wimborne Minster, Dorset
Wintanceaster
Winchester, Hampshire