Quemerford
Encyclopedia
Quemerford is a suburb of the town of Calne
in the county of Wiltshire
, South West England
, UK
.
and Marlborough, and 28 miles northwest of Salisbury
. The River Marden
flows behind the village at the bottom of a slope, before passing through Calne into the Avon.
In the mid-19th century, Quemerford had a population of 635 inhabitants. According to etymologists, the name is derived from the Old English Cynemaeres-ford, meaning the ford at the royal (cyne) boundary (maere) or lake (mere). The etymologist Ekwall notes the early variants of the name include Camerford (1204), Kemerford (1226-1228), Quemerford (1240-1245), Cameresford (1292), and Quemerforde (1294).
Today, Quemerford is part of the town of Calne, which claims to be “of very remote antiquity.” The parish website claims the town has one of the longest histories in Wiltshire. The first recorded mention of the town was in the will of King Edred in 955. Calne was probably laid out as a deliberate settlement during the Anglo-Saxon period, when it was described as a villa regia, meaning a place on crown land. In 977, Archbishop Dunstan of Canterbury presided at a synod in Calne to settle a dispute between monks and secular clergy. During the synod, the floor of the chapter gave way, and several secular priests were killed although the monks escaped unhurt. Calne became famous for wool and bacon from then on, with extensive mill development in the town.
Calne is currently a quickly expanding semi-industrial town, and an extremely important town in Wiltshire, despite the Harris Pork Factory closing in 1982.
In the latest Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) this area was ranked 31,325 out of 32,482 in England, where 1 was the most deprived and 32,482 the least.
Swindon Town Football Club have been the local football team since its formation in 1875.
Calne
Calne is a town in Wiltshire, southwestern England. It is situated at the northwestern extremity of the North Wessex Downs hill range, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty....
in the county of Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, South West England
South West England
South West England is one of the regions of England defined by the Government of the United Kingdom for statistical and other purposes. It is the largest such region in area, covering and comprising Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. ...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
History of Quemerford
Quemerford is in the parish of Calne, on the edge of Calne in Wiltshire, situated on the A4 road between BristolBristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
and Marlborough, and 28 miles northwest of Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
. The River Marden
River Marden
The River Marden is a small tributary of the River Avon in England. It flows from the hills surrounding Calne and meets the River Avon about a mile upstream of Chippenham. The river has a mean flow of .-Course:...
flows behind the village at the bottom of a slope, before passing through Calne into the Avon.
In the mid-19th century, Quemerford had a population of 635 inhabitants. According to etymologists, the name is derived from the Old English Cynemaeres-ford, meaning the ford at the royal (cyne) boundary (maere) or lake (mere). The etymologist Ekwall notes the early variants of the name include Camerford (1204), Kemerford (1226-1228), Quemerford (1240-1245), Cameresford (1292), and Quemerforde (1294).
Today, Quemerford is part of the town of Calne, which claims to be “of very remote antiquity.” The parish website claims the town has one of the longest histories in Wiltshire. The first recorded mention of the town was in the will of King Edred in 955. Calne was probably laid out as a deliberate settlement during the Anglo-Saxon period, when it was described as a villa regia, meaning a place on crown land. In 977, Archbishop Dunstan of Canterbury presided at a synod in Calne to settle a dispute between monks and secular clergy. During the synod, the floor of the chapter gave way, and several secular priests were killed although the monks escaped unhurt. Calne became famous for wool and bacon from then on, with extensive mill development in the town.
Calne is currently a quickly expanding semi-industrial town, and an extremely important town in Wiltshire, despite the Harris Pork Factory closing in 1982.
Quemerford today
Quemerford today is mostly an Edwardian terrace and a long line of mainly 1930s houses, although new developments are under construction; and several have already been completed.In the latest Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) this area was ranked 31,325 out of 32,482 in England, where 1 was the most deprived and 32,482 the least.
Swindon Town Football Club have been the local football team since its formation in 1875.
Notable Former residents
- Derek McFaull, president of the International Brotherhood of MagiciansInternational Brotherhood of MagiciansInternational Brotherhood of Magicians is the world's largest organization for professional and amateur magicians, with approximately 15,000 members worldwide. The headquarters is in St...
.