Alternative Tube map reveals how Underground stations got their names

Alternative Tube map reveals how Underground stations got their names
Alternative Tube map reveals how Underground stations got their names

Most Londoners would think they've never changed Underground trains at Peasant Street or Bridge Over An Unfordable River, but it's quite likely they have – at least when the meanings of those stations are scrutinised.

Now, etymologist and author Mark Forsyth has produced a fascinating alternative Tube map which relabels every station on the network with its meaning - the aforementioned two being Bond Street and London Bridge.

Others include Cynsige for the Kensington stations, named after an Anglo-Saxon subsistence farmer. 'Cynsige' is portrayed as Kensi, 'ing' means 'family of' and 'ton' is for farm' – overall giving the 'farm of the family of Cynsige'.

Further people immortalised in the Tube map are a fisherman named Ecgi who is remembered in Edgware Road, meaning the 'road to Ecgi's fishing weir' - while a boatman named Putta lends his name to the Putney stations.

There are also some rather comedic names on the east side of the District line, including 'Road from Daecca's House to the Waste Land' which is Dagenham Heathway, and 'Church with Pointy Gables' for Hornchurch. 

CENTRAL LONDON:  Etymologist and author Mark Forsyth has produced a fascinating alternative London Underground map which relabels every station on the network with its meaning - such as 'Bridge Over An Unfordable River' for London Bridge

CENTRAL LONDON:  Etymologist and author Mark Forsyth has produced a fascinating alternative London Underground map which relabels every station on the network with its meaning - such as 'Bridge Over An Unfordable River' for London Bridge

FULL MAP: Mr Forsyth's map is a spin-off of designer Mark Noad's geographically-accurate map, but relabels all the stations

FULL MAP: Mr Forsyth's map is a spin-off of designer Mark Noad's geographically-accurate map, but relabels all the stations

London-based author Mr Forsyth, 44, first released his alternative Tube map online in July last year, and it forms part of his new book 'The Illustrated Etymologicon' which was published by Icon Books last week.  

The meaning of Kensington is one of those which is contested, with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea council claiming on its website that it 'probably derives from Chenesitun, 'town' of Chenesi's people'.

Twelve interesting Tube station name meanings 
'Sacred Place that Welcomes Strangers Central' - Walthamstow Central 'Horse Pond' - Bayswater 'Skin Farm Corner' - Hyde Park Corner 'Stream in a Sacred Wood' - Waterloo 'Padda's Farm' - Paddington 'Beer Gate' - Aldgate 'Lace Collar Roundabout' - Piccadilly Circus 'High Street Cynesige's Farm' - High Street Kensington  'Road to Ecgi's fishing weir' - Edgware Road  'Putta's Dock Bridge' - Putney Bridge  'Road from Daecca's house to the waste land' - Dagenham Heathway  'Church with pointy gables' - Hornchurch 

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Mr Forsyth disagrees with this conclusion, saying: 'Cynsige, whoever he was, now has a place called Kensington named after him.

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