November 22nd 2012: In ffaireforde aforesaid by Alison Hobson and Sue Middleton

The Society was treated to a fascinating lecture by Alison Hobson and Sue Middleton on the origin of Fairford place names in their presentation “In ffaireforde aforesaid”. The product of months of research in Gloucestershire Archives and elsewhere, Alison and Sue explained the origins of many of the familiar (and, in some cases, lost and forgotten) place names in and around Fairford, some of which date back to medieval times. Using original documents and maps unearthed during their in-depth study, they showed how names have changed over the years but the basic topography of Fairford has remained remarkably stable; even some medieval field boundaries can still be found in situ today. A new occasional paper (No. 11 Fairford Street Names) which records the origins of all of Fairford’s streets has been produced to accompany the lecture.