Staycationers can get the taste of an adventurous holiday without leaving the UK.

LeaseElectricCar.co.uk are signposting local hotspots with international names .

The world on your doorstep

Brits looking at planning their next holiday, they might have to look no further than their own doorstep. From Moscow in Ayrshire to California in Norfolk, international destinations with a UK doppelganger are surprisingly common.

“It’s surprising the number of places in the UK that share their names with other famous hotspots from around the globe,” says a spokesperson for LeaseElectricCar. “It’s especially interesting when you delve deeper into the history and origins of these names.

“Although many of them bear little resemblance to the well recognised locations, they could still be worth a visit as they’re rich in history and provide an interesting change to other popular holiday destinations in the UK.”

LeaseElectricCar.co.uk has compiled a blog page on its website with details of 15 places with international place names where you can read more. Here is a taster of eight of them.

Going international

Moscow, Ayrshire
Ayr County Council suggests this hamlet in Scotland gets its name during the Crimean War. A number of prisoners and refugees lived there at the time.

Barcelona, Cornwall
Okay, it’s vastly different from the cosmopolitan city in Spain. However, Barcelona is supposedly named after a Spanish native who rescued a member of the Trelawney family from a shipwreck disaster in the 1800s.

Egypt, Bradford 

This hamlet in West Yorkshire housed a successful quarrying industry during the 1800’s. With pyramids in mind, it is actually thought the name may commemorate the 18th Century invasion of Egypt by Napoleon Bonaparte.

Boston, Lincolnshire

This is home to the largest parish church in England. The market town in Lincolnshire was given its name originally by the Bostonians. Settlements across the world also share the same name, most notably, Boston, Massachusetts.

 

Florence, Staffordshire

Florence is a quaint suburb in Stoke-on-Trent. It actually gets its name from a colliery there owned by Florence Colliery Co. LTD. While it may show little resemblance to Tuscany’s most populous city, it’s still well worth the visit.

Palestine, Hampshire
The name origin of this village in Hampshire remains a mystery to this day. However, some believe there is a link  with the Egypt Expeditionary Force.  When the Force seized the south of Palestine in 1917-18, it contained two battalions from Hampshire .

California, Norfolk
A seaside resort that gets its name from a handful of 16th Century gold coins. Found on its beach in 1848, this coincided with the California gold rush, hence the name.

Columbia, Tyne and Wear
Located in the town of Washington – which was home to US president George Washington’s ancestors – is just one of the areas in the North of England with a transatlantic cousin. Others include New York in Tyneside, Richmond in North Yorkshire and Cleveland in County Durham.

 

You can read the full blog here.