Here are some errors noted in Victor Watts: "The Cambridge dictionary of English place-names",
posted here in the hope of being noticed by the editor of the second edition.
Some of these points have been discussed before in this mailing list.
A general query: what does Watts mean by his apparently random variation in use of the definite
article in explanations? For example, on page 165 we see:
Cranford `Crane or heron ford'
Cransford `The cranes' ford'
Cranmore `Cranes' pool'
p 100: Burgh Castle - it is not certain that this was Gariannum,
which might have been the fort across the river at Caister-on-sea.
p 328: Ickleford - "seems" should be "seem".
p 329: Ilford - "Roman road to Chelmsford" should be
"Roman road to London" (since Ilford is east of the ford).
p 331: Ingatestone - "Roman road to Colchester" should be
"Roman road between London and Colchester" (why be London-centric?).
P 332: `excrescent' is misspelt.
p 452: Newcastle - River Ore (Suffolk) is explained as `Old European';
the same name is explained on page 433 as a back-formation from Orwell.
p 564: Speen - "SU 4668" should be "SU 4568"..
Missing names: Boulge (Suffolk), Undley (Suffolk), Dovercourt (Essex),
Coton (Cambridgeshire), Goodmayes (Essex).
|