Ham first meant 'homestead'. Tun first meant 'enclosure' or even 'fence'. Later it came to mean 'enclosure round a homestead, a farm' and then 'village'. By meant 'homestead' or 'farmstead' then 'village'. These words meaning 'some form of habitation' were combined with a variety of other elements to give more precise information about a place.
Some place names give information about the natural features of the area.
We find references to a range of flora. The fauna is equally diverse. There are also numerous references to streams, fords, landing-places, mounds, hills, valleys, ridges, meadows, woods, clearings, marshes, and islands. Much of the original fauna has long since vanished. The farming practices have changed.