Britain’s Most Hilarious Place Names

Nobody sees more area names than a courier. Most of the time, these will quickly be forgotten, but every now and then there will be an area or road name that will make you chuckle (or is that just me?). Although only small, these can make the trip that little bit more entertaining and all those in the transport industry will have a few memorable names that stick out that they travelled through on the job.

Here are a few of mine and great ones to share with your fellow couriers.

• Ugley (Essex) – This small village in Essex may have an unfortunate name but it is actually anything but ugly, with a handful of quaint buildings from the sixteenth and seventeenth century. Ugley also has a Grade II listed church, St. Peter’s, which has a beautiful Tudor brick tower and thirteenth-century nave. The name was first recorded in 1041 as Uggele – it is thought that it means “woodland clearing of a man named Ugga”.

• Great Snoring (Norfolk) – If you are feeling sleepy behind the wheel then Great Snoring in Norfolk is a great place to pull over for a nap. There is not a tremendous amount to see in Great Snoring, which had a population of just 143 in the 2011 Census. Upon selling the village in 1611, Sir Ralph is reported to have said: “I can sleep without Snoring”.

• Matching Tye (Essex) – Another small Essex village where everybody always looks sharp, Matching Tye forms part of the civil Parish of Matching. This was once the home of the great actor and comedian Rik Mayall (RIP).

• Scratchy Bottom (Dorset) - A problem that every courier encounters regularly on long hauls, this hilariously named cliff top valley is found between Durdle Door and Swyre Head in Dorset. The name is thought to refer to a rough hollow and came second in the 2012 poll for “Britain’s worst place name”. The winner also came from Dorset, but perhaps is best not to print!

• Warninglid (Sussex) – This strangely named small village is found in West Sussex: it is thought that the name originates from two words meaning “Werna’s Path”. It is a pretty village but also very small, although the local Half Moon pub could be a great stop off if you are passing through.

• Barton in the Beans (Leicestershire) – I’m not quite sure how they came up with this one, but I’m glad they did as it is certainly one of the better place names. Barton in the Beans is a hamlet in the Hickley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire and contains only a post-box and Baptist church. A popular saying in the county is “shake a Leicestershire man by the collar and you may hear the beans rattle in his belly”. 

These are a few of my favourite place names around the country, but there are dozens more and, of course, some ones which are much ruder. Courier drivers notice these funny, strange and sometimes ridiculous names more than most, so if you can top these then send in your favourites!