Take a stroll around Sheffield and you'll no doubt notice there are many interesting and unusual street names.
But have you ever wondered how they got those names?
In some cases the answer is fairly obvious - there are after all plenty of Church Streets, Station Roads and Market Streets around Sheffield and elsewhere in the UK which leave little to the imagination.
But there are many streets with fascinating stories behind how they were named, which tell us a lot about how the city has grown and evolved over hundreds of years.
Some hark back to famous visitors, long-lost buildings or forgotten customs, and, while the origins of certain Sheffield street names are well established, debate still rages about others.
Street Names of Central Sheffield, written by Mary Walton and first published by Sheffield City Libraries in 1977, is an excellent resource for anyone keen to learn more.
We've used it to unearth the often surprising history behind some of Sheffield's best-known streets, including Fargate, the Wicker, Spital Hill and Barker's Pool.
1. The Wicker
There's some debate about how one of Sheffield's most famous streets, the Wicker, got its name. One suggestion is that it comes from wick, the area related to a castle, with the ending perhaps being a contraction of another word like yard. Another explanation is that derives from an old word for bend, as the river turns sharply at that point, while a third suggestion is that it comes from the Old Norse word vikir, which simply means a willow.
2. West Bar
West Bar is today home to Sheffield Crown Court. The name is believed to date back to the days when the early lords of Hallamshire would collect tolls from people coming to sell their wares at Sheffield's markets. Somewhat confusingly, in the old dialect the gate refers to a road and the bar to a gate, which was used to stop those travelling in so money could be collected from them.
3. Brocco Street
Brocco Street is today a relatively small, steep street on the outskirts of Sheffield city centre, not to be mistaken with Brocco Bank, which runs between Endcliffe Park and Sheffield Botanical Gardens. It is likely, however, that their names share the same derivation. Deeds from the early 1300s refer to a group of properties around modern day Brocco Street 'Iying upon Brocholeclyf in the field of Schefeld'. Brocholeclyf refers to a steep place where there were badger setts.
4. Barker's Pool
Barker's Pool is another Sheffield street name with a relatively straightforward origin. Adam Barker was a landowner in the area in 1333 and one of his family owned a pool, later improved by Robert Rollinson in around 1630 and gifted to the public as a supply of water. By the 18th century, the water in the pool had become unfit for any purpose other than cleaning the streets. Today, Barker's Pool is home to two fountains. .