Icknield Way
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The
Icknield Way is one of the oldest roads in
Britain, being one of the few long-distance trackways to have existed before the
Romans occupied the country. It stretches from
Ivinghoe Beacon in
Buckinghamshire to
Knettishall Heath in
Norfolk. It could be described as a belt studded with archaeological sites found at irregular intervals. Many modern roads follow the Icknield Way, for example the main road at
Dunstable that crosses
Watling Street (A5). In other places, especially to the east of
Luton the route is followed by much more minor roads, and is not distinguishable at all in many places. To the west of Ivinghoe Beacon, the track extends along the scarp of the
Chiltern Hills, and can be detected as far west as
Wiltshire. However, this section of the track is not usually referred to as the Icknield Way, and may date from a different period from the eastern section. A modern
long-distance footpath,
The Ridgeway, follows the western course.
The Icknield Way used to form part of the boundary between Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire, and at one time Royston was cut in two by this boundary. Royston is where the Icknield Way crosses Ermine Street.
The road may be named for the Iceni tribe of ancient Britain, who may have established this route to permit trade with other parts of the country from their base in East Anglia. It has been suggested that the road has older prehistoric origins but this theory has fallen out of favour.
Somewhat confusingly, the name Icknield Way was transferred in the 12th century to a Roman road running from Bourton on the Water to Templeborough near Rotherham. This is now called Icknield or Ryknild Street to distinguish it from the older Icknield Way.
See also
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