Icknield Street facts for kids

A part of Icknield Street in Sutton Park

Icknield Street or Ryknild Street is an old Roman road in Britain. It stretches from Bourton-on-the-Water in Gloucestershire all the way to Templeborough in South Yorkshire. This ancient road goes through important towns like Alcester, Birmingham, Lichfield, and Derby.

What's in a Name?

Long ago, in the Laws of Edward the Confessor, four main Roman roads were named. These were Watling Street, Ermine Street, the Fosse Way, and Hikenild (or Icknield) Street. People often thought Hikenild Street was connected to the Iceni, an ancient British tribe.

The name "Icknield Street" comes from older Anglo-Saxon words like Icenhilde Weg. These names were first used for a different, much older path. This path, called Icknield Way, was an Iron Age trackway. It ran from Norfolk to Dorset, passing through places like Cambridgeshire and Berkshire. So, the name "Icknield Street" was sometimes confused with this older "Icknield Way."

The name "Ryknild Street" became popular in the 12th century. A monk named Ranulf Higdon wrote about it in 1344. He called the road "Rikenild Strete." Higdon said this road went from the southwest to the north. He believed it started at St. David's and ended at the mouth of the River Tyne. He also mentioned it passed through cities like Worcester, Droitwich, Birmingham, Lichfield, and Derby.

Over time, people used different spellings for this name, like Rigning or Reenald. Even in Higdon's own writings, the name appeared as Rikenilde or Hikenil Street. Later, a writer named Harverfield wondered if the road truly had a right to either name. He preferred "Ryknild" because it helped tell this Roman road apart from the older Icknield Way. Today, we often call it "Icknield or Ryknild Street" to avoid confusion. You can still see a part of this Roman road in Sutton Park in Birmingham.

Images for kids

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  Condicote Lane, north of Bourton-on-the-Water.

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  Near Beoley in Worcestershire

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  Birmingham's Middle Ring Road.

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  Knowle Lane near Knowle Farm.

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  A38 between Burton and Derby.

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  The section of Rykneld Street and the remains of Bronze Age cemetery at Littleover are lawned over and is an island in a development of new houses.

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  Moor Road near Breadsall.

See also

In Spanish: Icknield Street para niños