Learning Some ABC's...

I wasn't quite sure what to call this post, as it's a little unusual.  Okay, so what's new?  You can probably tell I have a penchant for interesting and unique place names, so here is another batch, but with a common theme - or two themes, actually!

Of course, many of you will have heard of towns like Kingston-upon-Thames, and Ross-on-Wye, but there are quite a few with four words in the name!  So many, in fact, that in order to compact this post, I just thought I would keep it to the first three letters of the alphabet!  These are all in England, incidentally...

Ashby-de-la-Zouch
This Leicestershire market town sounds somewhat continental, and with good reason!  Even the name "Ashby" is of Anglo-Danish origin, meaning "Ash-tree farm".  A very ancient settlement, the "de la Zouch" was added to the name during the reign of Henry III (1216-1272), when the town was owned by the La Zouche family, of Breton descent.



Ashford-in-the-Water
A village in Derbyshire's Peak District, I am not sure of the exact history of the name.  It is quite possibly something to do with the River Wye, on which it stands, and/or a number of natural wells and springs in the area.



Bourton-on-the-Water
The River Windrush is the central feature of this quaint Gloucestershire village.  Situated in the Cotswold Hills, it has gained the nickname of "Venice of the Cotswolds",

Bourton-on-the-Water by Dariusz is licensed under CC BY NC ND 2.0

Brafield-on-the-Green
I can't really say much here except that Brafield is a village in Northants, and was home to a speedway team for a couple of spells during the '50's and '60's.



Breedon-on-the-Hill
Just five miles from Ashby-de-la-Zouch, this Leicestershire village is known - quite unsurprisingly - for its large limestone hill.  The hill is home to an Iron Age hill fort and a church.  The village itself is home to a primary school, a butcher's shop, a post office, and two pubs...



Burton on the Wolds
Yet another village found in Leicestershire, Burton on the Wolds differs from Breedon-on-the-Hill in that it has only ONE pub!  Strangely enough, the village has two football teams and four cricket teams, though.



Chapel-en-le-Frith
Founded by Normans in the 12th Century, the origin of the name is simply French for "Chapel in the forest".  It borders Derbyshire's Peak District.



Cley next the Sea
Once one of England's busiest ports, reclaimed land now means that Cley isn't quite "next the sea" these days.  Likewise, from being a thriving metropolis, the Norfolk village has dwindled to a small community of less than four hundred inhabitants.