While some quaint hamlets attract tourists for their rich historical value, others are visited purely for the humour in their names. Some English village names are simply hard to believe. From Shitterton to Crackpot, let’s take a look at a few of Britain’s villages that have the most peculiar and bizarre names.
Shitterton, Dorset
Shitterton is a small town in Dorset with virtually no attractions except for, well, being called Shitterton. It was voted Number One for Britain’s most embarrassing name. It originates from the French for ‘stream of a sewer’ and it hasn’t stopped tourists from flocking in to have a good laugh, occasionally stealing the ‘Shitterton’ road sign as a souvenir.
Scratchy Bottom, Dorset
Competing with Shitterton is also Dorset’s Scratchy Bottom. While its residents may have been the butt of many jokes, Scratchy Bottom is just an ordinary valley town known for its extraordinary chalk deposits in surrounding cliffs. Some may recognise the valley from its appearance in John Schlesinger’s Far from the Madding Crowd (1967).
Ugley, Essex
This hamlet is believed to have been named after the wood clearing of a gentleman named Ugga. The beauty of the friendly town lies within Ugley Hall and other buildings from many centuries ago. One of the prominent landmarks, St. Peter’s Church has a magnificent 16th century Tudor-style tower. So much for Ugley.
Crackpot, North Yorkshire
Fortunately, the name of the town has nothing to do with its dwellers. Crackpot was originally called Crakepot, from the words: kraka in Old English meaning ‘crow’ and pot in Viking meaning ‘a hole or cavity’. It was known as a place where crows would gather, an ominous description. The town’s main tourist attraction is the ruins of Crackpot Hall, a farmhouse built three centuries ago. It takes you just under an hour to reach Crackpot from Leeds Airport.
Beer, Devon
Contrary to what we may think happens for the majority of the time at Beer, it’s actually known as one of the best fishing spots in Devon. It has a beautiful coastline with tall cliffs that made a good hideout for smugglers back in the day. Beer, the town, is not entirely sober though: its topography and microclimate serves as an ideal condition to cultivate grapes for alcoholic beverages.
Great Snoring, Norfolk
Perhaps frequent snorers may not find this village name very humorous. The small population of Great Snoring neighbours Little Snoring, a relatively larger and more established town. Their names, however, have little to do with breathing patterns. The locations of Snoring were originally named Snear, meaning swift or alert.
The next time you’re heading off for a crazy holiday away, consider creating some funny moments in these hilariously named towns.
This article was written by Saajida Akabor. She writes for AirportParkingQuote.co.uk – providers of affordable airport parking across the UK.