Pronouncing Local Place Names!

How a place name is written, and how it is pronounced, can, around these parts, be completely different.  This short guide should be of use if you need to ask for directions!

Aspatria

The natives pronounce it “Spya-tree”, the rest of the world pronounce it “Ass-pay-tree-a”!  It is thought to have originated in around 900AD, when it was named by Norsemen escaping from Ireland.

Blennerhasset

Pronounced locally as “Blin-rasset”

Gilcrux

Pronounced “Gill-cruise”, beginning with a G, not a J!!

Keswick

Drop the ‘ w’, and pronounce it “Kezz-ick”

Torpenhow

Pronounced “Tre-penner”  The name is odd in the sense that when disassembled into its components of Tor, Pen and How, each part translates into Hill, with Tor and Pen being British, and How being Norse!