Corsham

Sister cities

• Jargeau

History

Corsham appears to derive its name from Cosa's hām, "ham" being Old English for homestead, or village. The town is referred in the Domesday Book as Cosseham. The letter 'R' appears to have entered the name later under Norman influence (possibly caused by the recording of local pronunciation), when the town is reported to have been in the possession of the Earl of Cornwall. The Lyons family held vast lands in Corsham from the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066 until at least the 16th century. Ingelram de Lyons, a Norman nobleman and companion of William the Conqueror, was granted these estates by William as part of the post-Conquest redistribution of land. Corsham is recorded as Cosham as late as 1611 (on John Speed's map of Wiltshire). During the Saxon era, the Corsham area belonged to the King, and had a large forest, which was later cleared to make way for further agricultural expansion. There is evidence that the town had been known as "Corsham Regis" due to its reputed association with Anglo-Saxon Ethelred of Wessex, and the name remains as that of a primary school. One of the towns that prospered greatly from Wiltshire's wool trade in medieval times, it maintained its prosperity after the decline of the trade through the quarrying of Bath stone, with underground mining works extending to the south and west of Corsham. The main turnpike road (now the A4) from London to Bristol passed through the town. The Grove, opposite the High Street, is a typical example of classic Georgian architecture, as is The Ivy in Priory Street. There are more than 60 listed buildings in the High Street.