Querns area, Cirencester
Encyclopedia
The Querns is an area of Cirencester
, an ancient market town
in the Cotswold
hills of England
.
Its principle feature is the town's famous Roman
amphitheatre
, an impressive ancient monument that is surrounded by many other archaeological features, most notably the extensive Roman Quarries and a huge Roman cemetery, now largely buried beneath the Cirencester ring road
.
The name 'Querns' is a direct descendant of the Anglo-Saxon
word 'Crundles', meaning a Quarry
, albeit a very distorted version. The evolution of this name can be traced through various historical documents, evolving from Crundles, to Crondles, Cronnes, and Cornes, with the modern name 'Querns' emerging in the 17th Century. Thus the linguistic memory of the one-time use of the area has been preserved over more than 1,500 years since quarrying last took place in the area.
The Roman quarries cover the side of what was once a shallow hill descending into town, and run for over half a mile, their extent still recognisable by steep, rugged ground and pleasant, wooded terrain that has been spared the modern development that has taken place in fields surrounding the Querns.
Cirencester
Cirencester is a market town in east Gloucestershire, England, 93 miles west northwest of London. Cirencester lies on the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames, and is the largest town in the Cotswold District. It is the home of the Royal Agricultural College, the oldest agricultural...
, an ancient market town
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
in the Cotswold
Cotswolds
The Cotswolds are a range of hills in west-central England, sometimes called the Heart of England, an area across and long. The area has been designated as the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
hills of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Its principle feature is the town's famous Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
amphitheatre
Amphitheatre
An amphitheatre is an open-air venue used for entertainment and performances.There are two similar, but distinct, types of structure for which the word "amphitheatre" is used: Ancient Roman amphitheatres were large central performance spaces surrounded by ascending seating, and were commonly used...
, an impressive ancient monument that is surrounded by many other archaeological features, most notably the extensive Roman Quarries and a huge Roman cemetery, now largely buried beneath the Cirencester ring road
Ring road
A ring road, orbital motorway, beltway, circumferential highway, or loop highway is a road that encircles a town or city...
.
The name 'Querns' is a direct descendant of the Anglo-Saxon
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
word 'Crundles', meaning a Quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
, albeit a very distorted version. The evolution of this name can be traced through various historical documents, evolving from Crundles, to Crondles, Cronnes, and Cornes, with the modern name 'Querns' emerging in the 17th Century. Thus the linguistic memory of the one-time use of the area has been preserved over more than 1,500 years since quarrying last took place in the area.
The Roman quarries cover the side of what was once a shallow hill descending into town, and run for over half a mile, their extent still recognisable by steep, rugged ground and pleasant, wooded terrain that has been spared the modern development that has taken place in fields surrounding the Querns.