TRIVIA: Places in the UK with a namesake (or similar sounding place name) in mainland Europe

[AY1975]

There are several villages called Belmont in different parts of France.
In Lancashire, Belmont is a village on t' moors between Darwen and Bolton.

There's also Belmont, Surrey (near Sutton, on the Epsom Downs branch).

 

[brad465]

Sandgate (near Folkestone) and Sangatte (near Calais), which are also a town twinning.

 

[Gathursty]

Upholland and Downholland Cross are in Lancashire.
Also, Norton Disney in Lincolnshire refers to the French family name d'Isigny which it is speculated that Walt Disney is a descendant (or it could be a Mickey Mouse story.)

 

[Jamesrob637]

I was going to mention that as I grew up near Hainault and my mother always mentioned a link with the Belgian Hainaut family, (and presumably the province as well). However as Wikipedia now says, (see here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hainault,_London

"The name Hainault was recorded as 'Henehout' in 1221 and 'Hyneholt' in 1239. It is Old English and means 'wood belonging to a religious community', referring to the ownership of Hainault Forest, part of the larger Epping Forest, by Barking Abbey. The spelling was altered from the 17th century because of a false connection to Philippa of Hainault, the wife of Edward III."​

So now it seems it isn't really clear.

The "holt" meaning "wood" may be from German "holz". However it's going a little off-topic but I thank you nonetheless for the information!

 

[Jona26]

Tooting Bec - It is named after Bec Abbey in Normandy, which was given land in the area after the Norman Conquest.

 

[John Griffiths]

Appledore (Devon and Kent) and Appeldoorn (Netherlands)

 

[John Griffiths]

Mastrick in Aberdeen is named after Maastricht (Netherlands)

 

[Ianno87]

Jericho, near Bury.

 

[John Griffiths]

Brunswick Village in Newcastle upon Tyne, Braunschweig (Brunswick) Germany.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Jericho, near Bury.

Wonder if the bus can still go to Jericho over all those borders some of which must surely still be closed?

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Brunswick Village in Newcastle upon Tyne, Braunschweig (Brunswick) Germany.

There's also Brunswick in Liverpool, which has a station.

Torquay and Turkey (of which a small part is in Europe)
Paris near Holmfirth
Clun, Shropshire and the aforementioned Cluny.
Danzey in Warwickshire, and Gdansk in Poland- formerly known as Danzig.
Pilton (home of the Glastonbury festival) and Plzeň, Czechia.
Barmouth (the town) is usually written in Welsh as Abermaw, but the bridge is referred to as "Bont y Bermo" which sounds a bit like the Czech city of Brno.

 

[John Griffiths]

A bit off-topic for which I apologise, but is Liverpool's Brunswick pronounced like Newcastle 's, Brunzick, or is the w sounded?

 

[prod_pep]

A bit off-topic for which I apologise, but is Liverpool's Brunswick pronounced like Newcastle 's, Brunzick, or is the w sounded?

Yes, the 'w' is always sounded in Liverpool's Brunswick.

 

[John Griffiths]

Thanks!

 

[AY1975]

The River Tarrant in Dorset (from which Tarrant Hinton, the venue of the Great Dorset Steam Fair, gets its name) and Tharandt near Dresden in eastern Germany.

Arnside near Carnforth; Arnhem, Netherlands; and Arnstadt, Germany (near Erfurt).

There's also Ede, Netherlands (between Utrecht and Arnhem) and a few places in the UK with Eden in them, e.g. the River Eden in Cumbria; Eden Camp near Malton, North Yorkshire; Edenbridge, Kent; Eden Park, South-East London/Kent, near Hayes. Ede, Netherlands is pronounced "Aida" as in the woman's name, though.

 

[Whistler40145]

Banff in Scotland and Canada

 

[Jamesrob637]

Neither in the UK but Brest in Brittany and Brest in Belarus.

 

[Gathursty]

Bethlehem in South Wales near Llandeilo
Barcelona in Cornwall
New York near Boston, Lincolnshire - drove through it whilst driving between the Poacher Line stations.

 

[NorthOxonian]

Would Newcastle (of either the Tyne or Lyme variety) and Neuchatel count? The spelling is only similar but the names have the exact same meaning.

 

[John Griffiths]

A New York in North Tyneside too.

 

[John Griffiths]

There's also Belmont, Surrey (near Sutton, on the Epsom Downs branch).

Which was formerly called California.

 

[Scotty]

Neither in the UK but Brest in Brittany and Brest in Belarus.

I only realised there was a Brest in Belarus after watching this video yesterday...

 

[Jamesrob637]

I only realised there was a Brest in Belarus after watching this video yesterday...

He's such a legend isn't he!

 

[Jamesrob637]

Would Newcastle (of either the Tyne or Lyme variety) and Neuchatel count? The spelling is only similar but the names have the exact same meaning.

Of course. It's Neuenburg in German as it's near the lingustic boundary but most Swiss cities and towns have a French and a German name, as well as an Italian name in many cases.

 

[Calthrop]

If I dare to broaden things very considerably -- by at "our end", going beyond UK to the very widest possible interpretation of "British Isles"; and at "other end", engaging with a country whose belonging to Europe or Asia, is a matter of debate (until very recently, I'd never envisaged it as being other than in Europe)... there is a town named Gorey, in County Wexford (Republic of Ireland); and a town named Gorey, in Jersey. In Georgia -- the one in the Caucasus -- there is the town of Gori (birthplace of Josef Stalin). Variations in spelling conventions; and it would seem likely, some variations pronunciation-wise; but -- I feel -- overall sufficiently akin, to be worth noting.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Rhodesia near Worksop and the ex-country?

 

[Gathursty]

I was about to say New Britain and New Caledonia but they are nowhere near Europe.

 

[mailbyrail]

Leek in Staffordshire and in the Netherlands not been mentioned yet I don't think

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

Flushing in Cornwall is named after Flushing (Vlissingen) in the Netherlands. Dutch engineers built the quays on the Penryn River in the 17th century.

 

[mailbyrail]

And there's Watten in Northern Scotland on the line to Wick with a closed station and Watten in Northern France on the line to Calais - but the French station is called Watten-Eperlecques incorporating the name of the nearby wartime German bunker, now a visitor attraction