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History of Dene/Dean??



Seagull over NZ

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
1,607
Bristol
A mate was visiting Brighton over the holidays and noticed that a load of places in Brighton had Dene or Dean in their name - does anyone know the specific link with Brighton as to what this name refers to or is it just coincidence?

Not very interesting but now he has asked me its bugging me that I can't google it and find a satisfactory answer. Another question to be wrapped up by the good folk of NSC hopefully. Thanks in advance.
 




Dean Cox takes his name from his tiny stature. I believe it is hereditary.

Dean Wilkins is named after his brother, Ray Wilkins.

I think Dean Hammond might be Dick Knight's nephew (but I may have got him muddled up with someone else).

And Dean White was the inspiration behind the away win at Selhurst a few years back, when the Albion decided to play in the famous White shirts.
 


Gwylan

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
31,461
Uffern
Dean is anglo-saxon for valley. In southern England, there will be many anglo-saxons names (include Sussex and Brighton of course), just as there are many viking names in the north of England.
 


Skaville

Well-known member
Jun 10, 2004
10,116
Queens Park
Dean is anglo-saxon for valley. In southern England, there will be many anglo-saxons names (include Sussex and Brighton of course), just as there are many viking names in the north of England.

Which is why you have Rottingdean, Saltdean and Roedean etc which are all in valleys.
 






Trufflehound

Re-enfranchised
Aug 5, 2003
14,112
The democratic and free EU
As I understand it, Withdean -- originally named "With Dean" -- was so-called because back in the 60s and 70s an accidentally signed local by-lay meant school athletic events could only be held with classic Motown artist R. Dean Taylor's "There's a Ghost in My House" playing over the PA in the background.
 




Bevendean Hillbilly

New member
Sep 4, 2006
12,805
Nestling in green nowhere
I thought Dean was "Hill" rather than valley?

Coldean, Bevendean, Hollingdean, Saltdean, Westdene?
 
















Buzzer

Languidly Clinical
Oct 1, 2006
26,121
It's in memory of the graffiti artist prevalent in the 1990s around Brighton. You can still see his handiwrok on a few blocks of flats as you pass Preston Park by train.

He also had his name on a farmers barn right on the Surrey Sussex border up the A23/M23. FACT
 




REDLAND

Active member
Jul 7, 2003
9,443
At the foot of the downs
It's in memory of the graffiti artist prevalent in the 1990s around Brighton. You can still see his handiwrok on a few blocks of flats as you pass Preston Park by train.

He also had his name on a farmers barn right on the Surrey Sussex border up the A23/M23. FACT

Thats Tagging NOT Graffiti, please learn that there is a difference
 


Buzzer

Languidly Clinical
Oct 1, 2006
26,121
Thats Tagging NOT Graffiti, please learn that there is a difference

But when the tag is 20 foot high at the top of a tower block.....I kinda respect him for that. Makes a change from the usual bollocks (and if you're reading this, the anarchist who tags anti-capitalist slogans around London Road and Lewes Road...stop writing about class action and actually take action, you retard)
 


Gwylan

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
31,461
Uffern
:D

I thought a Dene was a sort of river/stream that passed under land.

Nearly, dene/dean is the name for a wet valley while coomb/combe is the name for a dry valley. I'm not sure that coomb is an anglo-saxon word though, I'd have thought it was more celtic in origin as it sounds very similar to the Welsh "cwm".

A hill in anglo-saxon is dun or hurst
 


Buzzer

Languidly Clinical
Oct 1, 2006
26,121
Apparently, Gwylan, the Anglo-Saxons carried out "ethnic cleansing" on the indigenous population when they came to Southern England. Place names being a very good example of telling whether there were any residual locals left after the influx of immigrants. I believe (but could be completely wrong) that Coombe is of Anglo-Saxon origin rather than the cwm in Celtic but seeing as both races share a common Aryan root it's not beyond the realms of possibility that it was common in both languages. A lot of other common words were - - numbers, words for mother/father etc.
 




Publius Ovidius

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
46,282
at home
Caster and Chester is a derivative of the Roman for castle. As In Doncaster ( castle by the river Don) ManChester, Chester itself.
 




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