TRIVIA: Places with a North, South, East or West prefix that don't have a geographical opposite number

[najaB]

I don't think we've had the North Sea yet?

(Wikipedia mentions the South Sea off the Korean coast but that's a translation from the local language and surely a coincidence, both of which would I think be against the spirit of the OP)

I think that those should be disqualified since in this case 'Sea' isn't referring to a place.

 

[Bald Rick]

There’s a North Pole and a South Pole. But why not a West Pole or an East Pole?

 

[PeterC]

Southend is so called because it emerged as the south end of Prittlewell, the older settlement. There's no North Woodham Ferrers, but it was a good thing that the railway station formerly known as Fambridge was renamed North Fambridge to correctly reflect its location: there is a South Fambridge, on the opposite bank of the River Crouch, but it's even smaller than North Fambridge, and could really do with having a bridge...or even the ferry named in the pub in North Fambridge

"West Sheen" is an interesting one, in as much as Sheen was the former name of Richmond.

Hornchurch has a South End Road which is a minor source of confusion to outsiders as it isn't a route to the seaside. TfL has dropped the designation North Romford for the terminus of the 103 and formerly of the 175. It wasn't a name that locals ever used (I was brought up there) and was probably invented by LGOC or LPTB.

West Hampstead (the settlement, not just one of the stations, almost) was originally "West End". As distinct from the West End of London. I suppose the implication is that it was the West End of Hampstead, but more recently the term seems to be used often as a way of saying "Kilburn" (which itself has West and South variants, but nor North or East), as it apparently sounds more prestigious. What I find slightly odd round there is that whereas West End Green is a focal point of what is now West Hampstead, South End Green is some miles (in a north-easterly direction) from what we now call South Hampstead. Arguably the location of the Heath rules out the possibility of North or East Hampsteads....

"End" place names are common across Herts Middlesex and Essex to denote outlying Hamlets.

Hampstead does have a North End around the Bull and Bush.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

As a slight variation on the topic, near Holmfirth in West Yorkshire are the villages of Upperthong and Netherthong ("nether" being an archaic term for "lower", hence "nether regions") but there isn't a third settlement between the two called simply "Thong". The Upper and Nether refer to elevation rather than cardinal directions.
There is Thongsbridge (which was served by the only intermediate station on the Holmfirth branch line) but that is lower still than Netherthong, being in the bottom of the Holme Valley.

 

[Calthrop]

And is there an opposite for Westward Ho! in North Devon?

Admittedly not to do with topographical naming -- but if I have things rightly: the catch-phrase, so to speak, "Westward Ho !" originated some centuries back -- and then had an "Eastward" counterpart. It appears to have started in the first years of the 17th century, with a couple of satirical plays, brought out in quick succession, about assorted skulduggery going on in London. First was Westward Ho ! by Thomas Dekker and John Webster; which others in the theatrical world seemingly found insulting to them -- viz. Ben Jonson, George Chapman, and John Marston: who speedily riposted with Eastward Ho ! , in turn mocking their rivals. Passions ran high, and various bods concerned spent time in prison for perceived libel / impropriety / irreverence.

A couple of centuries later, Charles Kingsley "recycled" the title Westward Ho ! for his historical novel about bold North Devon mariners setting off for the Spanish Main. With Kingsley being a sometime inhabitant of the area, and with his stirring novel title: the name was used by 19th-century entrepreneurs for the new seaside resort in North Devon which they attempted to launch.

 

[urpert]

A few further rail examples from the Southern Region:

West, East and South Croydon (but no North)
Waterloo East (only a plain Waterloo - no West)
West, East, North Dulwich's (no South. East is further north than North too....)

This is an interesting one as Apple (and possibly Google) Maps briefly labelled the area around Sydenham Hill station as South Dulwich, even though I've never heard that in local usage (and lived in the area for years). Of course there's also the anomaly that East Dulwich station is north of North Dulwich, which should arguably be called Dulwich Village.

 

[adrock1976]

Using local council areas, in 1996 there were three Ayrshire councils created which were North (Largs, West Kilbride, Three Towns, and the former Cunninghame District around Irvine, Arran), East (Kilmarnock, Loudon, Carrick), and South (Ayr, Carrick, Doon Valley).

There is no West Ayrshire at all, or if there was, it would be in the Irish Sea.

West Virginia seceded from Virginia. The rump Virginia didn't add East to its name. Incidentally, the westernmost point of (East) Virginia is west of the entirety of West Virginia.

New South Wales has no North counterpart.

There is a West Pilton estate in Edinburgh with numerous street name with West Pilton in their names. The corresponding eastern estate as a whole is sometimes called East Pilton but the street names are just Pilton Drive, Avenue etc. with no compass point. There are streets with names beginning East Pilton Farm, but these were built years after the rest of East Pilton when housing replaced a fire-ravaged factory that formerly stood on the site.

Regarding New South Wales, remember that it was created when we invaded, took over, colonised, and displaced the indigenous population i.e. the Aborigines, and carved up the lands by drawing straight lines on the map. Australia being south from Great Britain, a New North Wales would not have made sense at all assuming emphasis is on the first two words i.e. New South.

 

[zero]

Australia being south from Great Britain, a New North Wales would not have made sense at all assuming emphasis is on the first two words i.e. New South.

The emphasis could have been New [South Wales] rather than [New South] Wales.

According to Wikipedia which cites James Cook's journal, no reason was given for the insertion of the word "South" as it was also referred to as "New Wales".

 

[Calthrop]

"New South Wales" certainly sounds good, and character-ful. Just "New Wales" would seem boring in comparison.

 

[nw1]

There’s a North Pole and a South Pole. But why not a West Pole or an East Pole?

There was an East Pole in Winnie-The-Pooh, wasn't there? Described as "very cold". Perhaps some kind of reference to Siberia.

I suppose technically the East Pole and West Pole would both be at the same place, on the intersection of the equator and 180 degrees of longitude, but thinking of the East Pole as the most easterly point (most positive longitude) on a major landmass is a bit more fun - and the same for the West Pole. I guess that would indeed place the East Pole in Siberia, and the West Pole in Alaska.

 

[owidoe]

In Bristol, there's an Easton but no Weston (although there's a Weston in Bath some way to the East
Also there's Westbury-onTrym but no Westbury
If we can include local authorities there is a South Gloucestershire but no North and a North Somerset but longer a South

There's Weston-super-mare!
But it doesn't have a Weston-infra-mare any more. Wonder what happened to it?

 

[najaB]

There's Weston-super-mare!
But it doesn't have a Weston-infra-mare any more. Wonder what happened to it?

Surely that should be Weston-Sub-Mare or Easton-Super-Mare, no? Maybe Weston-It'sokayallthingsconsidered-Mare?

 

[Gloster]

It should be Weston-super-mud.

 

[Dai Corner]

Surely that should be Weston-Sub-Mare or Easton-Super-Mare, no? Maybe Weston-It'sokayallthingsconsidered-Mare?

Weston-super-Stallion?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

There's Weston-super-mare!

Does it not just mean Weston above the sea?

 

[adrock1976]

Does it not just mean Weston above the sea?

But where is the sea at Weston-super-Mare?

When I went there on a school trip back in 1985, it was billed as a trip to the seaside, but me and my classmates were disappointed as we never found the sea at all. We did find a promenade and what passes off as a large muddy beach.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

But where is the sea at Weston-super-Mare?

Could ask the same at Southport, to be fair!

 

[ANDREW_D_WEBB]

Lambeth North has no compass counterpart

 

[Dai Corner]

But where is the sea at Weston-super-Mare?

When I went there on a school trip back in 1985, it was billed as a trip to the seaside, but me and my classmates were disappointed as we never found the sea at all. We did find a promenade and what passes off as a large muddy beach.

You have to pay attention to tide times when planning your trip. I'm guessing your Geography teacher wasn't involved!

There is a Marine Lake which enables swimming in sea water at all states of the tide without a long walk across the beach.

 

[317 forever]

And no Easterham to match Westerham, and no Eastgate to match Westgate-on-Sea, near Margate, and no Westbourne to match Eastbourne (although there is Westbourne Park in London!) and no Eastminster to match Westminster (although I believe that there was once a plan to combine a number of areas of East London to create an Eastminster).

Although there is a Southfields and a Northfields in London, they are probably not meant to be opposite numbers (unlike, for example, Surbiton and Norbiton) as they are nowhere near each other: Southfields is between Putney and Wimbledon whereas Northfields is near South Ealing.

Talking of which, there is South, North and West Ealing but no station called East Ealing and I don't know of an area called East Ealing as such.

There's an area of Hartlepool that was historically known as West Hartlepool, but AFAIK there was never an East Hartlepool.

I've also never heard of an East Bromwich to match West Bromwich.

Maybe they should rename Castle Bromwich to East Bromwich?

Using local council areas, in 1996 there were three Ayrshire councils created which were North (Largs, West Kilbride, Three Towns, and the former Cunninghame District around Irvine, Arran), East (Kilmarnock, Loudon, Carrick), and South (Ayr, Carrick, Doon Valley).

There is no West Ayrshire at all, or if there was, it would be in the Irish Sea.



Regarding New South Wales, remember that it was created when we invaded, took over, colonised, and displaced the indigenous population i.e. the Aborigines, and carved up the lands by drawing straight lines on the map. Australia being south from Great Britain, a New North Wales would not have made sense at all assuming emphasis is on the first two words i.e. New South.

People occasionally refer to east/north/south Liverpool, but never west Liverpool as that would be in the sea.

I sometimes consider the Wirral to be west Liverpool, as you can get there directly from central Liverpool by bus or train and it is served by the same transport authority and local operators.

 

[Calthrop]

I sometimes consider the Wirral to be west Liverpool, as you can get there directly from central Liverpool by bus or train and it is served by the same transport authority and local operators.

Don't let the people of Birkenhead -- chief city of the Wirral, and actually on the peninsula -- hear you say that ... Birkenhead has long suffered from a severe inferiority complex vis-a-vis Liverpool -- her better-known, more acclaimed, and altogether more glamorous neighbour just across the Mersey. Poor old Birkenhead -- generally found a rather glum place -- is referred to by unkind Liverpudlians, as "The One-Eyed City".

 

[nw1]

Weston-super-Stallion?

When I first heard of the place (as a child), I had no idea that "mare" was Latin for sea, so at that age probably thought it was named after a particularly heroic female horse!

As for the place, once visited it on a weekday in late March 1994 (and it was unseasonably gloomy, more like winter than spring) while on a Badgerline dayrider trip (circular Bath-Bath via Bristol, Weston, Cheddar and Wells) and it did seem very quiet with not a lot going on. I think the tide was out, too. To be fair I was mostly there just to change buses, though did have a bit of curiosity about the place.

 

[Calthrop]

When I first heard of the place (as a child), I had no idea that "mare" was Latin for sea, so at that age probably thought it was named after a particularly heroic female horse!

I've mentioned the following more than once before, on the Forums -- have likely become a bore about it -- but there's a story about this place's name, which has always tickled me. A century / century-and-a-half ago, there was a very devout and earnest lady called Agnes Weston, who devoted much of her life to setting up the Missions to Seamen: attempting to reach those notoriously rough-and-ribald types (both Royal Navy, and merchant seamen) with religion's saving grace, and / or at least to set up recreational venues to offer them, which would be more wholesome than the time-honoured boozing-and-wenching. Although the target chaps considered that she was pretty much on a hiding to nothing there; they became rather fond of her, affectionately calling her Aggie. Whence they dubbed Weston-Super-Mare, "Aggie-on-Horseback".

 

[75A]

Last nights Secrets of the London Underground made me aware that there are 7 stations with Acton in the title including; North, East, South & West. Is there anywhere else that can beat that, not counting the London Victoria, Waterloo etc etc?

 

[PGAT]

I don’t think that can be bested, in fact I can’t really think of anywhere with all 4 cardinal directions

 

[Howardh]

"New South Wales" certainly sounds good, and character-ful. Just "New Wales" would seem boring in comparison.

Could you imagine New South Zealand? Actually both could be separated like that, north Island could be New North Zealand. But one name bugs me, South Africa, which could apply to half the continent or the country itself, maybe "South Point/Zuidelijke Punt" could be it's name?!

Anyway, as a countries name I forward South Africa as there's no equivalent North Africa. Used to be an East Africa which, if memory serves, played in the 1975 cricket World Cup to make up the groups?

 

[D6130]

Used to be an East Africa which, if memory serves, played in the 1975 cricket World Cup to make up the groups?

Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda?....as in the East African Railways and Harbours Co. (Highley-praised in the Roger Whitaker song 'The good old EAR&H will get you there on time....' )

 

[Howardh]

Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda?....as in the East African Railways and Harbours Co. (Highley-praised in the Roger Whitaker song 'The good old EAR&H will get you there on time....' )

...and Zambia! The "West Indies" of Africa!

 

[Altrincham]

Locally there is a West Timperley but no East Timperley.

 

[Calthrop]

But one name bugs me, South Africa, which could apply to half the continent or the country itself, maybe "South Point/Zuidelijke Punt" could be it's name?!

Anyway, as a countries name I forward South Africa as there's no equivalent North Africa. Used to be an East Africa which, if memory serves, played in the 1975 cricket World Cup to make up the groups?

I think I've heard that pre-the relatively peaceful adjustments re S.A. in the early 1990s: some black campaigners for change, wished when white rule was done away with, to alter the country's name to Azania -- in part, I think, to put an end to the dubious geographical / nomenclatorial status of the name "South Africa". They had second thoughts, on becoming aware of Evelyn Waugh's 1930s novel Black Mischief -- about a supposedly contemporary fictional African country called Azania, under -- very incompetent -- indigenous rule (Waugh was a highly un-PC guy even by the standards of his own time). With those associations: the idea of "South Africa -- Azania" was quietly dropped.