BURTON, ANCIENT AND MODERN. 23 
that the great highway from Etocetum to Derby, known by 
the name of Icknield Street, was made, it did not pass 
through the site of the old town of Burton. Of course by 
the term “Old Burton” I mean so much of the town as 
existed before the extensions caused by the development of 
the brewing trade. Please to understand that when I 
speak of Burton in the course of my remarks this evening 
I refer merely to Lichfield Street, Abbey Street, High 
Street, New Street, Horninglow Street, and Anderstaffe 
Lane.t+ 
But it will no doubt occur to you that, granting there 
was in those days no road running through this place North 
and South, there might have been one running East and 
West. Mr. Molyneux evidently gave a good deal of 
attention to this point. From what he says, and from 
what we can gather from other sources, we may conclude 
that there was a road known as the Via Devana or Ryknield 
Street, which was the main route from the Midlands to the 
salt districts of Cheshire. But what line this road took 
between Ashby and Uttoxeter is a question not yet solved, 
though I am inclined to think it is by no means unsolvable. 
If we could determine the point at which the road crossed 
the Trent we should go a long way towards settling it. 
Mr. Molyneux seems to have satisfied himself that between 
Newton Solney and Stapenhill—and I gather that he refers 
to the southern end of Stapenhill, at least a mile away from 
Burton—there was no point where the main or eastern 
branch of the river was fordable. It follows that unless the 
original Burton Bridge was Roman, Ryknield Street could 
not have passed through Burton. I have never heard 
whether, when the remains of the old bridge were destroyed 
some five and twenty years ago, any careful examination 
was made of the character of the foundations. Possibly, if 
Mr. Rye had been here at the time, his keen eye might 
+ See Transactions, Vol. III, Page 264. 
