Manduessedum, first recorded in the Antonine Itinerary in the 4th Century. It is composed of a British element *mandu – ‘horse’ or ‘pony’ and a Gaulish *essedo - ‘horse chariot’. Although the first element is common in Gaulish names, the application of the second element to a place-name is obscure. The second element of the modern name is ultimately from the OE -ceaster – ‘a city, an old (Roman) fortification, Roman site’. By the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066 ceaster was probably pronounced roughly like modern "Chester". The form -cetter reflects the difficulty that some French-speaking Norman clerks had with the English sounds ch and st (compare also Exeter, Old English Escanceaster). References Sources External links Atherstone-forum Mancetter and Athersone online forums List of volumes Survey of English Place-names Key to English Place-names Villages in Warwickshire Civil parishes in Warwickshire Atherstone Roman legionary fortresses in England