The Essex areas given Harry Potter and other magical themed nicknames for a life-saving reason

Matt Lee

8 May 2024 at 3:26 am·2-min read

Parts of Essex have been given a magical nickname to help save people's lives -Credit:PA

Parts of Essex have been given magical nicknames, including Harry Potter Bridge and Peter Pan, for a very important and life-saving reason. The new nicknames are revealed in a database created by the Ordnance Survey (OS) to help emergency workers find people quickly.

The new system, called the Vernacular Names Tool, contains the nicknames of over nine thousand locations across the UK, with many being created and passed on by local communities. Locations in Essex take a magical theme. Harry Potter Bridge can be found in Thurrock, whilst Peter Pan is a woodland area located in Southend.

Other amusing nicknames include Stinky Bay in Cornwall and Teletubby Hill in Wales. The Eye of the Butt is a coastal landform which can be found in the Western Isles of Scotland, whilst those looking for Sausage Island should head to the north-west coast of Wales.

ALSO READ: Family-run pub with 'outstanding' service named the best 'destination' in Essex

Chief Coastguard Peter Mizer said the tool is an “incredibly useful resource”, and added: “It has allowed local knowledge to be shared across our operational network and there are examples where its use has improved the tasking of critical rescue assets. We are very proud to have played a significant role in its development and we are pleased to see it being made available to colleagues in other emergency services today.”

The Princess Royal even got involved with the naming process. During a recent visit to the OS headquarters in Southampton, she added “the wedding cake” to the database, which is an alternative name for the Queen Victoria Memorial opposite Buckingham Palace.

Get more What's On news from EssexLive straight to your inbox for FREE

Edinburgh Live
British holidaymakers outraged at new £180 sunbed charge in Spain tourist hotspot
Holidaymakers have been warned to expect a hefty sunbed charge when they head to the Spanish holiday hotspot this spring and summer, as one beach club has set a new eye-watering price
Yorkshire Live
England's 'best' beach with miles of golden sand and a funfair is well worth 90 minute drive from Yorkshire
A Yorkshire beach also made it into the top five in the rankings by Sixt
Birmingham Live
UK tourists outraged over having to pay new £180 sunbed charge in Spain
Holidaymakers in the UK have been warned to expect a staggering £180 sunbed charge as they head to the Spanish holiday hotspot this spring and summer.
Birmingham Live
Spain tourists being identified by 'stickers' on properties and 'spat at'
Angry locals have launched a vandalism spree as tensions over "overtourism" in Spain spread across the mainland, following demonstrations and tensions in the Canary Islands and the Balearics.
The Telegraph
The ultimate guide to driving to Europe this summer
A holiday promises freedom. The reality is delayed flights, forking out for luggage (we’re looking at you, Ryanair) and car hire rip-offs. That’s before we mention the impossibility of using your wine allowance on the return.
Yorkshire Live
Yorkshire's 'best beach' has miles of sand and dolphins swimming in bay
One of the UK's best beaches has been named as Yorkshire's top spot where you can watch dolphins swimming in the water
The Northern Echo
Is this North East seaside town Britain's coolest? Why it's among the best
Find out why Tynemouth in Tyne and Wear has been named among Britain's 'coolest, prettiest and quirkiest' seaside towns by Time Out.
Birmingham Live
UK tourists told to 'avoid' Amsterdam in Netherlands travel warning
The Hague in the Netherlands was voted the safest city in Europe, with a safety index of 79.9.
The Telegraph
Istria, the little-known Mediterranean peninsula that ticks all the holiday boxes
The idea of Croatia as one of Europe’s last hidden destinations has long passed its use-by date. This splendid segment of the Balkan Peninsula has developed dramatically since it slipped away from the fracturing Yugoslavia in the early 1990s. Certainly, since the turn of the millennium, it has morphed into one of the most popular holiday options in the Mediterranean sphere. And its profile will surely grow further. Here in 2024, nobody would claim Dubrovnik as a seaside secret. The Dalmatian Coa
South Wales Argus
Best fish and chip shop in the UK to open pop up shop in Japan
Caerphilly's Ship Deck, the best fish and chip shop in the UK, is to open a pop up shop in Japan.
Daily Echo
Two New Forest castles 'at risk' from coastal erosion, new report finds
A new report has identified two New Forest castles as being some of the most at-risk sites due to coastal erosion
The Telegraph
Rocks fall as cliff face crumbles near mobile home park
Rocks have been seen falling from a crumbling cliff face yards from a mobile home park in East Sussex.
The Packet - Falmouth
Michelin-star chef reveals Cornwall's best biking routes on new podcast
A popular chef in Cornwall is the first guest on a new motorbike podcast
Birmingham Live
UK tourists in Barcelona warned over new daily charge because it's 'a luxury'
Holidaymakers jetting to the Catalan hotspot, amid the spring and summer getaway season, have been warned they could be forking out 70 euros for a seven-night stay.
The Bolton News
9 budget-friendly trips you can take from Manchester Airport
Manchester Airport can fly travellers to lots of places including those that provide budget-friendly holidays.
The Guardian
The best new camping and glampsites around the UK, from festival vibes to no-frills meadows
Pods, campervans, bell tents and even Star Wars domes feature in our round-up of sites set in glorious countryside from the South Downs to the Hebrides
York Press
Iconic North Yorkshire location among top stargazing (and Northern Lights) spots
This is why the North York Moors Dark Sky Reserve is among the top 10 places to stargaze in the UK, according to Jessops.
People
25 Things to Eat, See and Do This Summer — From Staying at Prince's “Purple Rain” House to Exploring an Ice Cave
From music festival hopping to trying the most delicious croissants in America, these travel spots don't need to wait for your bucket list
My London
Hidden garden in ruins of bombed out church near London Bridge is one of city's best kept secrets
The hidden church is an oasis in the heart of London
The Telegraph
Britain’s best white-sand beaches
Aquamarine waters, bone-white sands, bleached driftwood… the stuff of holiday brochures and Instagram posts, and designed to lure us to foreign and exotic idylls. But, hang on; why go abroad?

Latest stories