Little Chester Heritage Centre

Derby's first recorded settlers were the Romans, when the army set up a fort around AD50 at Strutt’s Park, to protect the river crossing on the western side of the Derwent. They remained there for at least 30 years before establishing a fortified settlement, across the river at Little Chester, which they called Derventio.

The fort not only protected the river crossing, but also stood at the junction of Roman roads. The most important was Ryknield Street, which connected Gloucester and the West Country with Yorkshire and the North East.

Little visually remains at Little Chester today or Chester Green as it is now called. The remains include 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 (hypocaust) on Parker’s Piece and an abundance of coins and pottery.

Although the fort remained garrisoned until the mid fourth century, by then the Roman Empire was starting to crumble. The final break came in AD410, when Rome decided that its most northerly province could not be defended. This ended a period of considerable importance in British history.

For anyone interested in the local history of Derby and the Roman Empire, a visit to the Heritage Centre at Chester Green is essential. The Centre, which opened in September 2001, originated from discussions between the vicar of St Paul’s and members of the Little Chester History Group. With the approval of the various Church Authorities the Centre was created, aided in part by an ‘Awards For All Grant’, using space in the south aisle of the church.

Located in St Paul's Church at Chester Green, Mansfield Road, Derby, the normal opening times are Sunday afternoons between 2pm and 4.30 pm from Easter to the end of October. Admission is free, but donations towards running costs will be welcomed. Also, why not combine the visit with a guided walk around the Local Heritage Trail?

Group visits, including schools, outside normal opening times can be arranged for a small fee. For more information you may find it helpful to visit the centre's website before making contact on telephone number 01332 363354. Click here to go to the Little Chester Heritage Centre Website. Volunteers from the Little Chester Local History Group staff the centre. To find our more about the History Group, please click 'Visit our Local History Group website'


Marcus Street - the site of one of two Roman Wells found at Chester Green.	Cricket Pavilion - a Roman hypocaust was found near the pavilion.

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