Six
The spelling of place-names in Anglo-Saxon England was an uncertain business, with no consistency and no agreement even about the name itself. Thus London was variously rendered as Lundonia, Lundenberg, Lundenne, Lundene, Lundenwic, Lundenceaster and Lundres. Doubtless some readers will prefer other versions of the names listed below, but I have usually employed whichever spelling is cited in the Oxford Dictionary of English Place-Names for the years nearest or contained within Alfred’s reign, 871–899 AD, but even that solution is not foolproof. Hayling Island, in 956, was written as both Heilincigae and Hæglingaiggæ. Nor have I been consistent myself; I use England instead of Englaland, and have preferred the modern form Northumbria to Norðhymbralond to avoid the suggestion that the boundaries of the ancient kingdom coincide with those of the modern county. So this list, like the spellings themselves, is capricious.
| Æsc’s Hill | Ashdown, Berkshire |
| Æthelingæg | Athelney, Somerset |
| Afen | River Avon, Wiltshire |
| Andefera | Andover, Wiltshire |
| Baðum (pronounced Bathum) | Bath, Avon |
| Bebbanburg | Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland |
| Brant | Brent Knoll, Somerset |
| Bru | River Brue, Somerset |
| Cippanhamm | Chippenham, Wiltshire |
| Contwaraburg | Canterbury, Kent |
| Cornwalum | Cornwall |
| Cracgelad | Cricklade, Wiltshire |
| Cridianton | Crediton, Devon |
| Cynuit | Cynuit Hillfort, nr. Cannington, Somerset |
| Dærentmora | Dartmoor, Devon |
| Defereal | Kingston Deverill, Wiltshire |
| Defnascir | Devonshire |
| Dornwaraceaster | Dorchester, Dorset |
| Dreyndynas | ‘Fort of thorns’, fictional, set in Cornwall |
| Dunholm | Durham, County Durham |
| Dyfed | South-west Wales, mostly now Pembrokeshire |
| Dyflin | Dublin, Eire |
| Eoferwic | York (also the Danish Jorvic, pronounced Yorvik) |
| Ethandun | Edington, Wiltshire |
| Exanceaster | Exeter, Devon |
| Exanmynster | Exminster, Devon |
| Gewæsc | The Wash |
| Gifle | Yeovil, Somerset |
| Gleawecestre | Gloucester, Gloucestershire |
| Glwysing | Welsh kingdom, approximately Glamorgan and Gwent |
| Hamptonscir | Hampshire |
| Hamtun | Southampton, Hampshire |
| Lindisfarena | Lindisfarne (Holy Island), Northumberland |
| Lundene | London |
| Lundi | Lundy Island, Devon |
| Mærlebeorg | Marlborough, Wiltshire |
| Ocmundtun | Okehampton, Devon |
| Palfleot | Pawlett, Somerset |
| Pedredan | River Parrett |
| Penwith | Land’s End, Cornwall |
| Readingum | Reading, Berkshire |
| Sæfern | River Severn |
| Sceapig | Isle of Sheppey, Kent |
| Scireburnan | Sherborne, Dorset |
| Sillans | The Scilly Isles |
| Soppan Byrg | Chipping Sodbury, Gloucestershire |
| Sumorsæte | Somerset |
| Suth Seaxa | Sussex (South Saxons) |
| Tamur | River Tamar |
| Temes | River Thames |
| Thon | River Tone, Somerset |
| Thornsæta | Dorset |
| Uisc | River Exe |
| Werham | Wareham, Dorset |
| Wilig | River Wylye |
| Wiltunscir | Wiltshire |
| Winburnan |
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