A guide to over 4000 placenames in the British Isles. Placenames are a source of information about both local and national history and can also tell the story behind many people's names, the countryside and local families. Much of the history of the country is hidden in placenames. Some elements are well-known, -ham is a Viking suffix and -chester is of Roman origin. But less well-known is that Evesham means land in the bed of a river. The Eve element refers to an unknown Saxon called Eof whose name occurs in a different form in London's Euston.