Corsham

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…

Corsham's small town centre includes the historic High Street and the Martingate Centre, a late 20th-century retail development. The stately home of Corsham Court can also be found in the town centre. Standing on a former Saxon Royal Manor, it is based on an Elizabethan manor home from 1582. Since 1745, it has been part of the Methuen estate. The house has an extensive collection of Old Masters, rooms furnished by Robert Adam and Thomas Chippendale, and parks landscaped by Capability Brown and Humphry Repton. The house is open to the public all year round, excluding December, and is famed locally for its peacocks, which also wander about the streets. Sir Edward Hungerford, the owner of…