The English place-name Chester, and the suffixes -chester, -caster and -cester (old -ceaster), are commonly indications that the place is the site of a Roman castrum, meaning a military camp or fort (cf. Welsh caer), but it can also apply to the site of a pre-historic fort. Names ending in -cester are nearly always reduced to -ster when spoken, the exception being "Cirencester", which is pronounced in full. The pronunciation of names ending in -chester or -caster is regular. A Acaster Malbis Acaster Selby Alcester Alchester Ancaster B Bicester Binchester Brancaster C Caister-on-Sea Caistor Caistor St Edmund Casterton, Cumbria Casterton, Great, Rutland Casterton, Little, Rutland Castor, Cambridgeshire Chester Cheshire, Chester-shire Chester, Little, Derby Chesterfield Chesterford, Great Chesterford, Little Chester-le-Street Chesterton (disambiguation) Chesterwood Chichester Cirencester Colchester D Doncaster Dorchester Dorset, Dor-chester-seat Dorchester-on-Thames, Oxfordshire E Ebchester Exeter F Frocester G Gloucester Godmanchester Grantchester H Hincaster I Ilchester Irchester K Kenchester L Lancaster Lancashire, Lune-caster-shire Lanchester Leicester M Mancetter Manchester Muncaster P Portchester R Ribchester Rocester Rochester, Kent Rochester, Northumberland S Silchester T Tadcaster Towcester U Uttoxeter W Winchester Woodchester Worcester Wroxeter Notes Place name element etymologies English toponymy English suffixes