Rykeneld Street facts for kids

The Rykeneld Street (sometimes spelled Ryknield Street) was an ancient Roman road in England. It stretched across the northern Midlands, connecting the Roman city of Deva (which is now Chester) to Derventio (which is now Derby). Along its path, it went through the area we now call Stoke-on-Trent. It's important not to confuse this road with another famous Roman road called the Icknield Street. In the past, some historians from the Victorian era called it the "Via Devina." This road would have passed through the lands of a Celtic tribe known as the Cornovii.

Exploring the Roman Road's Path

This ancient road started its journey in Chester. From there, it headed southeast towards a known Roman fort. This fort was located in Chesterton in North Staffordshire. Archaeologists have studied parts of this fort using modern methods between 1969 and 1971.

How the Road Was Built

The road then continued through an area called Wolstanton. People discovered parts of the road here when a marsh was drained in the 1870s. Later, a big archaeological dig in the 1960s and a smaller one in 1995 helped us learn more.

The road surface was made of thick sandstone blocks. These blocks sat on a strong foundation of clay and gravel. The road was about 20 feet wide between its edge stones. In some places, the surface had been repaired with pebbles.

Journey Through Stoke-on-Trent

From Wolstanton, the road followed a valley ridge. It then went down into the Fowlea Valley, which often flooded. Local historians believe the road dropped into the valley at Basford. It likely met a raised pathway across the valley bottom at Etruria. From there, it reached the spot where the modern Stoke-on-Trent railway station now stands.

The road then crossed the young River Trent. It continued down Lane Delph, which is now the end of King Street in Fenton. It headed towards Normacot. We know this because a very old document from 1223 mentions Rykeneld Street. This document was the founding paper for the Abbey of Hulton in Stoke-on-Trent. It named the road as a boundary for the lands given to the Abbey at Normacot.

Continuing to Derby

After Normacot, the road went to Blythe Bridge. From there, it continued on to Uttoxeter. A historian named Francis Redfern described and traced the road's path at Uttoxeter in 1873. The road then passed through Burton upon Trent before finally reaching its destination in Derby.

Amazing Roman Discoveries Along the Way

Many interesting Roman objects have been found along the path of Rykeneld Street, especially in North Staffordshire.

Pottery and Coins

One important find was a well-preserved pottery kiln at Trent Vale in Stoke-on-Trent. A kiln is like a big oven used to bake pottery. Along with the kiln, archaeologists found Roman coins and pottery pieces. These finds helped them understand how old the kiln was.

Roman Treasure and Forts

In 1960, a collection of Roman treasures, called a hoard, was found in Longton. This was right on the road's path through Stoke-on-Trent.

We already mentioned the Roman fort at Chesterton. There was also a large industrial area near Chesterton at a place called Holditch. This area might have been home to independent miners and metalworkers. They probably made and sold things to the Roman soldiers and travelers using Rykeneld Street.