The Street, Derbyshire

The Street, Derbyshire is a Roman Road that travels broadly south from Melandra aka Ardotalia [Map] to Wirksworth, Derbyshire [Map] where it joined another road which crossed the Derwent at Milford and ran on the east bank of the Derwent and to Derventio [Map] aka Derby.

For the early stages of the road information had been obtained from P. Wroe and P. Mellor (1971). A Roman Road between Buxton and Melandra Castle, Glossop (Derbyshire Archaeological Journal 1971, Volume 91).

From Melandra aka Ardotalia [Map] the road heads broadly south through Simmondley [Map], Higher Plainsteads Farm [Map], Abbots Chair [Map], Brookhouses, Hayfield [Map], through Little Hayfield, Derbyshire [Map], Bank Vale, Hayfield [Map]. In Hayfield it appears to have followed Kinder Road [Map] until it reached Spring Vale Road [Map] where it could cross the River Sett where the steep river cliff has ended. It continued more or less straight past Highgate Head Farm, Hayfield [Map], Peep o Day [Map] following the A624 until East Meats [Map] where it heads towards Gorsty Low [Map] then Breckend [Map] and Townend [Map]

After Buxton The Street, Derbyshire continues south following the A515 past Brierlow Bar, Derbyshire [Map], Pomeroy, Derbyshire [Map], Parsley Hay, Derbyshire [Map] where it turns towards Oldham Farm Barrow [Map] and Pikehall, Derbyshire [Map] after which it passes Minning Low Chambered Tomb [Map] turning before Brassington, Derbyshire [Map] onto Manystones Lane, Derbyshire [Map] continuing east into Wirksworth, Derbyshire [Map].

After Townend [Map] The Street, Derbyshire continues past Lower Eaves [Map], Windy Walls Farm [Map], Sittinglow [Map], Martinside Cross [Map] and more or less through Dove Holes Railway Station [Map] where it makes a slight change in direction. Thereafter it intersects with another Roman Road from Batham Gate before reaching Brooke House Farm [Map] and continuing past St Peter's Church, Buxton [Map] aka Aquae Arnemetiae aka Baths of the Grove Goddess.

In Buxton the route is unknown other than the discovery in Jun 1862 of a milstone at a property called Silverlands [Map] in Buxton: 'In June 1862, there was found in a garden, in the occupation of Mr. Matthew Lees, near the Silverlands in Higher Buxton, the lower part of an inscribed Roman milestone.' The milestone appears to mark twelve miles from the station Navio.¹

In 1913 the son of Matthew Lees returned to Buxton from Canada and stated that he was the actual discoverer of the milestone and that he found it while digging deep in his father's garden near an old lane in 1856, not 1862. The stone was lying flat, some 18ins below the surface and the exact spot so far as he could tell was just inside the gateway leading to the Upper Buxton Railway Station. It is suggested that it was found close to its original position and must therefore indicate the line of the Roman road between Buxton and Brough.²

The milestone is now in Buxton Museum.

1. Article in serial: Watkin, W. 1885. 'The Roman Stations Of Derbyshire' Derbyshire Archaeology Journal. Volume 7. pp 79-80.

2. Article in serial: Tristram, E. 1916. 'Roman Buxton', in Derbyshire Archaeological Journal. Vol. 38, pp. 84-104. pp 87-91.