Little Chester, also known as Chester Green after the area of open parkland at its centre, is a suburb of the city of
Derby, in
Derbyshire, England. It is located approximately north of the city centre, on the east bank of the
River Derwent. It forms part of the
Darley ward along with
Darley Abbey and the
West End
West End most commonly refers to:
* West End of London, an area of central London, England
* West End theatre, a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London, England
West End may also refer to:
Pl ...
. Little Chester is the oldest inhabited part of Derby, having been the location of a fortified Roman settlement called
Derventio Derventio is a Britto-Roman name, but of Celtic origin (''dervo-'' "oak-tree"), and refers to one of the following Roman sites in Roman Britain :
* Derventio (Papcastle), the Roman fort and settlement at Papcastle near Cockermouth, Cumbria
* Derven ...
.
History
Roman times
It is the most historic area of Derby, the location of a large fortified
Roman settlement, which they called ''
Derventio Derventio is a Britto-Roman name, but of Celtic origin (''dervo-'' "oak-tree"), and refers to one of the following Roman sites in Roman Britain :
* Derventio (Papcastle), the Roman fort and settlement at Papcastle near Cockermouth, Cumbria
* Derven ...
''.
[
Rippon, Nicola (2001). ''Derby Our City''. Derby: Breedon Books. ] This fort, which later became a town, was not only protected the river crossing, but also stood at the junction and gave protection to five
Roman roads. The most important was
Ryknield Street, which connected
Gloucester and the
West Country with
Yorkshire and the
North East
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...
.
Little of the Roman settlement remains at Little Chester today, apart from two Roman wells, one on Marcus Street and the other in the garden of the vicarage of St Paul's Church.
However, a series of excavations in the last fifty years have established both its importance and prosperity, including the discovery of an underfloor heating system on Parker’s Piece and an abundance of coins.
Later times
The district has been continually inhabited since the departure of the Romans, next being settled by
Angles.
Chester Green, the open land which is the centrepiece of the area, is first referred to by name in written records dating back to 1495, and has been a
public park since 1866.
In modern times the name Chester Green, applied to the district as a whole, seems to have overtaken the "correct" name in popular usage.
References
External links
*
{{Suburbs of Derby
Areas of Derby