Welsh Road facts for kids
The Welsh Road was a very old path in England. It was also known as the Welshman's Road or the Bullock Road. People used it to move cattle (cows) from North Wales all the way to markets in South East England. These people were called drovers, and they walked their herds of animals along this special road.
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What Was the Welsh Road?
The Welsh Road was a long path used by drovers. They guided their cattle from North Wales to sell them in places like London. Imagine walking hundreds of cows for many days! This road was super important for trade a long time ago.
Where Did the Welsh Road Go?
The drovers and their animals started by following a famous old Roman road called Watling Street. They began near Shrewsbury and walked over a place called Cannock Chase to Brownhills.
From Brownhills, the main Welsh Road continued through many towns and villages, including:
- Stonnall
- Castle Bromwich
- Stonebridge
- Kenilworth
- Cubbington
- Offchurch
- Southam
- Priors Hardwick
- Boddington
- Culworth
- Sulgrave
- Syresham
- Biddlesden
- Buckingham
How Old Is This Road?
Nobody knows exactly how old the Welsh Road is. It's really, really ancient! Some parts of the road follow old boundaries between villages or large estates. This makes historians think it might have been a path even before the Romans came to Britain.
We know it was used in the 1600s. For example, in 1687, records from a village called Helmdon show money was given to a "poor Welshman" who got sick while driving his animals to London. This shows how tough life on the road could be for drovers.
How Has the Road Changed?
Over time, parts of the Welsh Road changed.
- Northern Section: In 1759, the northern part, from Brownhills to Stonebridge, became a "turnpike." A turnpike was a road where you had to pay a toll (a small fee) to use it. This money helped keep the road in good condition. This section became known as the Chester Road and is now mostly followed by the modern A452 road.
- Southern Section: South of Kenilworth, the road never became a turnpike. Today, this part of the old Welsh Road is mostly made up of smaller roads and footpaths. People still often call these paths the "Welsh Road."
Is There Another Welsh Road?
Yes, there is! A different road, the A550, is also called the Welsh Road. This road is about 6 miles long. It connects Eastham in England to Queensferry in Wales. It helps link big towns in Merseyside (England) and Deeside (Wales).
