[Talk-GB] Village, Hamlet and populations ...

[Tom Hughes]

On 14/09/15 10:39, Lester Caine wrote:
> On 14/09/15 09:51, Tom Hughes wrote:
>
>> Hell, try http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/1009 where I now live
>> which wasn't even a parish in it's own right until 1844 but was almost
>> certainly considered a town before that, as a coaching stop on the main
>> road from London to Cambridge.
>
> Hoddesdon seems to have several entries on IOP and certainly a
> substantial population, and would exceed the 10000 figure on the wiki
> guide. The simple fact is that the inclusion of population on the wiki
> page would seem to be something of a red herring, although for other
> countries one may need that guide? It would seem that my fingure in air
> 8000 may be better nearer 3000 although at the end of the day the local
> comunity my well call themselves a town or a village based on choice
> rather than size.

Oh I think there can be no dispute these days. It even meets the two 
parishes rule now. The border to the south can be a bit hazy as all the 
towns in the Lee Valley run together.

It's actually quite an interesting example because heading south down 
the valley you have Hoddesdon, Broxbourne, Wormley, Turnford, Cheshunt 
and Waltham Cross/Waltham Abbey all of which run together.

Historically I think there is little question that Hoddesdon and Waltham 
Cross would be considered towns. Cheshunt has a clear centre and a large 
population though I'm not sure how old the centre is.

Broxbourne, Wormley and Turnford don't really have significant centres 
and historically would likely have been considered villages. Broxbourne 
is now a town in wikipedia with a population of over 13 thousand while 
the other two are still listed as villages with a combined population of 
around 8 thousand. Much of that is 20th century dormitory for London though.

Tom

-- 
Tom Hughes (tom at compton.nu)
http://compton.nu/