UK pronunciation, please ...

[ChrisGreaves]

"The National Trust Reveals 'Lost' Maze at Cliveden"

?Cliveden?

[HansV]

Cliveden pronunciation: How to pronounce Cliveden in English

[HansV]

... but other sources mention "cleaveden" as pronunciation...

[ChrisGreaves]

Cliveden pronunciation: How to pronounce Cliveden in English

Thanks, Hans, but I wish you hadn't shown me that
(signed) "Chris Greaves"

[agibsonsw]

In London we might pronounce it 'cliive-dun' but we would have no idea where it is

Apparently it's near sloaa.

[ChrisGreaves]

In London we might pronounce it 'cliive-dun' ...

Right, but is that ClYve or Clivv?

but we would have no idea where it is

A-maze-ing!

[John Gray]

Hans' link fails for me at present, but I've always heard the place pronounced as Clivv-den.

Some British towns and villages are pronounced in a non-intuitive manner: For example, Hunstanton in Norfolk is pronounced locally as 'Hun-ston', and Shrewsbury can be pronounced 'Shrews-berry', as you would expect, and also as 'Shrose-berry'.

And here are many more examples!

[Argus]

Some British towns and villages are pronounced in a non-intuitive manner ...

Some?

[John Gray]

At least our towns and villages can be pronounced!

[ChrisGreaves]

At least our towns and villages can be pronounced!

Quite so.
Like "Balliol "
In seven different ways, each one of which probably makes the locals retch ...

[ChrisGreaves]

And here are many more examples!

The headings alone are worth the clique!

[John Gray]

At least our towns and villages can be pronounced!

Quite so.
Like "Balliol "
In seven different ways, each one of which probably makes the locals retch ...

Err, Balliol is an Oxford college = a college of the University of Oxford.
The pronunciation is very simple: Bail-ee-oll.

[ChrisGreaves]

The pronunciation is very simple: Bail-ee-oll.

I agree.
However if you've never heard it, how would you know?
We all have the same problem reading words in books.
Most we can guess at and get it right, but I can still remember coming across "hyperbole" at a young age and being howled at for saying "Hyper-bowl", and this was long before I'd heard of the Superbowl!

[agibsonsw]

Most we can guess at and get it right, but I can still remember coming across "hyperbole" at a young age and being howled at for saying "Hyper-bowl", and this was long before I'd heard of the Superbowl!

I always pronounce "hyperbole" as Hyper-bowl" but immediately remember that others pronounce it 'hyper-bo-lee". So I end up saying it twice, which is a bit of an exaggeration

Why does 'Balliol' have a 'Ball' in it? Perhaps that explains why they wouldn't let me in.

[ChrisGreaves]

...which is a bit of an exaggeration

[BobH]

At least our towns and villages can be pronounced!

Quite so.
Like "Balliol "
In seven different ways, each one of which probably makes the locals retch ...

Sorry, Chris, but I cannot say that Balliol belongs in the list of difficult names. To my untrained (and mostly uneducated ear and eye) it is pronounced exactly as it is spelled if one sees the 'i' as a 'y'.

I missed most of the others in the article except Towcester (which is where my ancestors lived before 'merry olde' near 400 year ago).

[ChrisGreaves]

To my untrained (and mostly uneducated ear and eye) it is pronounced exactly as it is spelled if one sees the 'i' as a 'y'.

Oh.
I'm in BIG trouble now ...

Perhaps I have read too much, but when I see a new string such as "Balliol" my mind runs through all possible combinations
Bally-oll
Bally-ole
Bayl-oll
Bayl-ole
Bailey-oll
Bailey-ole
Ba-Lyoll etc. etc.

[Bowlie]

To my untrained (and mostly uneducated ear and eye) it is pronounced exactly as it is spelled if one sees the 'i' as a 'y'.

Oh.
I'm in BIG trouble now ...

Perhaps I have read too much, but when I see a new string such as "Balliol" my mind runs through all possible combinations
Bally-oll
Bally-ole
Bayl-oll
Bayl-ole
Bailey-oll
Bailey-ole
Ba-Lyoll etc. etc.

And then there is this version. Makes you pine for a Bloody Mary ...

[John Gray]

Why does 'Balliol' have a 'Ball' in it? Perhaps that explains why they wouldn't let me in.

Most Oxford colleges have Commem Balls and Cambridge colleges have May Balls, at spectacular cost to the attendees since they often employ a top pop group, have champagne and other delicacies, and so on. These parlous times are likely to cause such balls to become reduced in scale and cost.

Probably Balliol wouldn't let you in because you couldn't accurately pronounce the name of the college! (Or it may have been a form of self-preservation... ) You should have applied to New College (founded 1379), which you probably could have pronounced!

[StuartR]

I have stayed in Cliveden House a couple of times. It's lucky that I wasn't paying as It is about the most expensive hotel I have ever been in!

The people there pronounce it Cleave-den