Explore Britain’s Funny Place Names

Scroll onwards and downwards for our highly subjective list of favourite funny place names from around Britain. They need little introduction, except to say they are all real places - villages, hamlets, hills, streets, roads and other features that can all be found on the maps of the Ordnance Survey, that is to say the foremost authority on such matters in the land. You’ll find more funny, rude and delightfully odd place names on the Marvellous Map of Great British Place Names - available in 3 formats (fold-out, flat or framed) from £14.99.

Witts End

A part of the village of Eversholt, Befordshire, Witts End is also a leading light among those rare British place names that also moonlight as sayings. See also Cavalier Approach, Memory Lane, Quality Street and Letsby Avenue.

Tickle Cock Bridge

Another Great British place name that has provided headline fodder, Tickle Cock Bridge in Castleford, West Yorkshire, was the subject of a controversial local authority decision in 2008. When the dilapidated pedestrian underpass was replaced, it was renamed to Tickle Cott, but a local over-50s group was having none of it. Thanks to their efforts, the council backtracked and the former location of naughty nighttime activity retained its distinctively descriptive moniker.

Little Cockup

A Little Cockup every once in a while is to be expected, but three in quick succession? Alongside Little Cockup, there's also Great Cockup and just plain old normal Cockup, three hills at the very northern end of the Lake District... and no mistake. Good views of Bassenthwaite Lake (and Great Cockup) can be had from the top, at 395m. The name derives from the Old English for fowl, in this case most likely black grouse, but you probably don't care about that.

Dull

Deriving from a suitably prosaic meaning (either 'meadow' or 'snare'), this village in Perthshire became twinned with Boring, Oregon (USA) in 2012. Together, the powers that be of Dull and Boring created the League of Extraordinary Communities in 2013, the first new member of which was Bland, New South Wales (Australia).

Twatt (Shetland)

Everyone should visit Shetland. Yes, yes, it is home to Britain's most northerly point and has some of the finest scenery known to humankind, but that's all by the by. Shetland's real claim to fame is of course that it boasts the northernmost of Britain's pair of Twatts... located on the main Shetland island of Mainland (the other Twatt is in Orkney). The name Twatt is derived from the Norse for 'forest clearing' or 'parcel of land', but people tend to overlook that when they're standing here, gurning into their phones. Nearby are the Burn of Twatt and Twatt Hill.

Isle of Ewe

As the ram said... to anyone who'd listen... The Isle of Ewe is not only an island off the glorious northwest coast of Scotland but also a profound declaration. It heads the list of 'Isle ofs' that includes Man, Dogs and Muck, and is surely one of Britain's happiest-sounding place names. An added bonus is the scenery, being part of the Wester Ross NSA, home to some of the finest views in Britain.

Rotten Bottom

Of all the Bottoms of Britain, Rotten Bottom is probably the one with the most distinctive air about it. Set amongst the hills and valleys of Moffat, Rotten Bottom is also a place of archaeological distinction, for it is there in the bogs that the Rotten Bottom Bow was found, a weapon made from yew dating to 3500 - 4000 BC. Impressive, but unlikely to quell the fart gags.

Bell End

A well-known street in Rowley Regis, West Midlands, Bell End has been the subject of some controversy. In January 2018, residents launched a petition to have the name of the street changed due to being "too rude". The petition garnered around 100 signatures, but by April nearly 5,000 people had signed a counter-petition to "Leave the Historic Name of Bell End Alone!". Thank goodness. Not to be confused with the village of Bell End in Worcestershire, or the street of Bell End in Wollaston, Northamptonshire.

Willey

A village in Warwickshire, whose name is derived, rather disappointingly, from Old English for willow-tree wood or clearing. Watch out though, there are Willeys in both Devon and Shropshire too.

Fan y Bîg

The 'Point of the Peak' is a subsidiary summit of Waun Rydd in the Brecon Beacons national park, and part of the classic horseshoe walk that takes in Pen y Fan. Disappointingly, Fan y Bîg was remeasured and downgraded from a mountain to a mere hill in 2018, but even though its technical status may have changed, it's clear the influence of this amusingly-named geographical feature is nothing less than mountainous. Close by is another legend of a hill, Lord Hereford's Knob.

Pants

There are so many Pants in Wales that they almost deserve their own map. Pant simply means 'hollow' or 'valley', an equivalent of 'Bottom' across the border. Alongside several dozen plain Pants, there are also several more fancy Pants on offer, such as Pant-Y-Felin, Pantyfallen, Pant-y-pistyll, Pant-y-Phillip, Pantycoch and Pant-y-Wacco. When it comes to Pants, Wales is top drawer. See also Undy, in Monmouthshire, and several Thongs in England.

GREATBOTTOM FLASH

A cheekily-named wider section - or 'flash' - in the Basingstoke Canal. A rather lovely spot favoured by wildlife and people who enjoy messing about in boats, it is not known whether exhibitionists also frequent the area, but it's entirely plausible that they might.

RUUUUUUUDE TRIP!

Take a grand tour of Britain’s funniest place names and admire the finest scenery in the land as you go. Here you can download a map of Britain’s top 50 place names, all of them connected by a rather ambitious road trip…

Get The Map

Britain’s funny, rude and delightfully odd place names, including the selection on this page, are the subject of the Marvellous Map of Great British Place Names. Available in 3 formats (fold-out, flat or framed) from £14.99. If you’ve got the map and have any feedback or suggestions for the next edition, we’d love to hear from you - email us at hello@marvellousmaps.com.