What your station might have been called [DotD 26.4.20]

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Looking at an old railway map the other day, I did a double take at one one of the branch lines ... scratched my head (yes, then washed my hands!) until I realised the place had been renamed.  Out of area - but can you get it?



And that got me thinking other "might have been" names had history not re-christened places:










Then there are the "might-have-been"s that never were:




Mostly obvious with a bit of thought, or a quick search.   What might your town have been called?

[Reading General]

It was my understanding that the railway used Didcot instead of Dudcote, much like Handborough/Hanborough.

Reading should probably revert back to the older spelling Redding, as it would make internet searches far easier. Other spelling changes locally are Tylehirst, Erleigh and quite surprisingly Oakingham missing the W.

Me and a group of friends often message using phonetically spelt words in the way Reddin' folk pronounce them, from years of listening to the old fellas on the Tilehurst End at Elm Park.  'Daen Taen' 'Alwm Park' 'Me oise cream as maw-Ed' that sort of stuff. Even area names have changed with Reddin folk, 'Topperwhitley' 'Norcut Raendabeit'. A Guard on a train once told me that only people from Reading put a 'R' in Bath, 'Barf Spar'

[grahame]

Other spelling changes locally are Tylehirst, Erleigh and quite surprisingly Oakingham missing the W.

I'm guessing that Erleigh was an early name for Earley? ... Sorry - couldn't resist!

Your point on phonetics is a good one - the spoken language was universal before many people could read and write and there were lots of forms of the same place and, yes, some have changed.  I remember the "County Roundabout" or "County Ground Roundabout" that got a local name which then became official.

[JontyMort]

Your point on phonetics is a good one - the spoken language was universal before many people could read and write...

Indeed. And one side effect of this ‘ere education is that “spelling pronunciations” drive out the traditional ones. Romsey* and Honiton are the two that immediately spring to mind in (or just about in) our area. And yet nobody would dream of pronouncing London as “Lonndon”.

*Strongs have a Rumsey Brown to prove this point.

[froome]

Bristol could easily have found itself being called Froomemouth rather than Brigstow, as it was in medieval times.

Which should give a clue as to where my user name comes from. 

[Lee]

Then there are the "might-have-been"s that never were:

The kind of place that will not let you go?

[ellendune]

Looking at an old railway map the other day, I did a double take at one one of the branch lines ... scratched my head (yes, then washed my hands!) until I realised the place had been renamed.  Out of area - but can you get it?

Durocornovium Junction please (Swindon)

The roman mansio was a little to the east of Swindon and gave its name to a farm and eventually the district of Dorcan.  But then Swindon was a little to the south of the Junction.  Incidentally the mansio - included the loacl roman post office, so it is rather fitting that the major mail sorting centre for Swindon, Oxford and Reading is there!

[JayMac]

My home village station could have been:

Combe Templariorum

[grahame]

My home village station could have been:

Combe Templariorum

[rogerw]

How about trying Higher Frome Vauchurch

[stuving]

Other spelling changes locally are Tylehirst, Erleigh and quite surprisingly Oakingham missing the W.

I'm guessing that Erleigh was an early name for Earley? ... Sorry - couldn't resist!

I suspect Erleigh is more mock-medieval - or just one of many old spellings. But however you spell it, it was some way away. The station ought perhaps to have been called Little Hungerford.

Next along (ignoring the obviously new Winnersh Triangle) we have Winnersh, which was initially Sindlesham & Hurst Halt. While the parish called Winnersh is old, there wasn't any settlement there, just a farm. The bigger names on the map are King Street and, yes, Sindlesham as the nearest village. Hurst, however is ... nearer Twyford.

[JontyMort]

My home village station could have been:

Combe Templariorum

“Aquae Sulis Forum Reginae” presumably?

[johnneyw]

Redland Station in Bristol could have so easily have been named Cotham as the boundary between the two suburbs is widely regarded as the Severn Beach Line on which lies.

[grahame]

“Aquae Sulis Forum Reginae” presumably?

Stations do not typically have the "Royal" in front - not "Royal Leamington Spa" or "Royal Tunbridge Wells" or "Royal Meols Cop" but "Leamington Spa", "Tunbridge Wells" and "Meols Cop".

[Bmblbzzz]

Redland Station in Bristol could have so easily have been named Cotham as the boundary between the two suburbs is widely regarded as the Severn Beach Line on which lies.

Was going to post exactly this, and it's right next to Cotham Gardens. I guess it would be a bit more, but only a tiny bit more, of a push for Montpellier to have been St Andrew[']s.