Icknield Way
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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, where it follows a course above the spring-line and below the escarpments of the Wessex Downs. A modern long-distance footpath follows the western course. The Icknield Way is one of four long distance footpaths which, when combined, run from Lyme Regis to Hunstanton and are referred to as the Greater Ridgeway.
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.
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.
