1) Choose a place-name that begins with the same letter as your surname and has a corresponding dictionary entry in The Oxford Dictionary of British Place Names (2011) by A. D. Mills at: www.oxfordreference.com (see Name Studies).

2) Paraphrase Mills' account of the name's origins, and discuss the composition of the name in terms of its structure (for example, simplex, compound, hybrid), the feature(s) it denotes (habitative or topographical), and whether its component elements conform to expected patterns for place-names in the UK.

3) Research the origins and meaning of the name in a range of popular sources (these can include websites, magazines, tourist information guides, local history resources and other materials that take a ‘non-specialist' approach to names), and evaluate their treatment of the name's etymology and/or history. Your essay should take account of the purpose of the source text (for example, encouraging tourists to visit; documenting local history of the area, etc).