Why do you give your houses names?

House naming started many years ago with rich people naming their homes. The rich named their Halls, Houses, Manors, Castles, and Lodges according to ancestry, location, and family titles: Norfolk House (Duke of), Belvoir Castle (overlooking the Belvoir Valley); Castle Droge (named after a 13th ancestor) etc. Gradually over the years other people began to give names to their homes, too.

All houses in towns and cities have a number. Very few of them have just a name and majority do not have names. Street numbering was introduced by the Act of Parliament in 1765. Every house in a town and city has a number followed by the name of the road it is in, e.g. 26 Avebury Avenue. The first house in the road is number one and the last house is the number of buildings in the street. The number readily identifies the location of a property in a road and so makes it easier for the emergency services to find houses quickly.

Odd numbers are usually assigned to the left side of the street and even numbers to the right, as they head out of town.

House names today are inspired by a bewildering array of sources: everything from location and local history to literature and legends.

Animals and birds:Badgers Cottage, Cuckoo Cottage, Dolphin Cottage, Fox Hollow, Magpies, Nightingale Cottage, Robin Hill, Squirrels Leap, Swallow Barn,

Trees: Orchard House, Woodlands, Treetops, The Willows, Yew Tree Cottage.

Plants and flowers: Rose Cottage, Primrose Cottage.

Locations and views: Hillside, Woodside.

Historical: The Coach House, The Old School House, The Old Rectory, Mill House.

Answer the questions:

1. How old is the tradition of house naming in Britain? What inspired it?

2. What is the origin of street numbering and what is its principal?

3. What provides the source of names for houses nowadays? Give some examples.

4. Explain some practical benefits of house numbering.

5. Do you know other countries where houses are given names?

Date: 2015-12-17; view: 1365