Founding of Lowestoft as Hluda’s toft

Mid-late 6th century? - Founding of Lowestoft as Hluda’s toft, meaning “the homestead of Hluda” - with Hluda itself translatable as “the loud one”. On the evidence of the layout of ancient tracks and other landscape features, the location was possibly somewhere in the north-eastern sector of what is now Normanston Cemetery. 

Whoever Hluda was, his influence in the area seems to have been considerable, since both local half-hundreds carried his name. At Domesday, in the abbreviated Latin used, Lothingland Half-hundred is termed Dim. H. De Ludingalanda (“the land of the descendants of Lud, or Hlud”), while the Mutford jurisdiction is referred to as Ludinga H. (“the descendants of Lud, or Hlud”).

CREDIT: David Butcher