A carnser (or caurnser) is a

causeway A causeway is a track, road or railway on the upper point of an embankment across "a low, or wet place, or piece of water". It can be constructed of earth, masonry, wood, or concrete. One of the earliest known wooden causeways is the Sweet Tra ...

or raised bank or embankment. The term is from

East Anglian English East Anglian English is a dialect of English spoken in East Anglia, primarily in or before the mid-20th century. East Anglian English has had a very considerable input into modern Estuary English, which has largely replaced it. However, it has r ...

which arose in

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

and

Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...

. It has had little use outside this area. In

the term has been used for a causeway across a

marsh A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found at ...

. In

Ipswich Ipswich () is a port town and borough in Suffolk, England, of which it is the county town. The town is located in East Anglia about away from the mouth of the River Orwell and the North Sea. Ipswich is both on the Great Eastern Main Line r ...

it has been used to describe remnants of the town's earthen ramparts, which provided a raised area on which houses were built. Elsewhere the term was applied to a raised walkway whereby pedestrians could avoid walking in water flowing in the street, as in Stoke Street. This has since been removed. The historic use with the variant use of "Caunsey" has been found dating back to 1564. In a discussion of

Norfolk dialect East Anglian English is a dialect of English spoken in East Anglia, primarily in or before the mid-20th century. East Anglian English has had a very considerable input into modern Estuary English, which has largely replaced it. However, it has r ...

, a "Lover of Norfolk" stated: :". . . a narrow water course through a marsh is a 'mashe deke,' and a road between two 'dekes' is a 'carnser' (causeway); but a bank is a 'deke' for all that."

Gallery

Tower Ramparts, Ipswich by John Moore.png, Painting by John Moore: ''Old Tower Ramparts (lately demolished)''

(1882) illustrating the carnser there Stoke Street, Ipswich 1888 by Percy Stimpson.jpg, Illustration by Percy E. Stimpson (1888) of the carnser that was in Stoke Street at that time The New Cut, the Carnser and the Quay - geograph.org.uk - 2366860.jpg, Carnser in

Blakeney, Norfolk Blakeney is a coastal village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. Blakeney lies within the Norfolk Coast AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) and the North Norfolk Heritage Coast. The North Norfolk Coastal Path travels alon ...

Carnser, Westerfield Road, Ipswich looking north.jpg, Carnser, Westerfield Road, Ipswich, (2021)

References

{{reflist Causeways in Europe