Derventio Coritanorum

Derventio was a small town in the Roman province of Britannia [1]. Today the area is known as Little Chester, on the outskirts of Derby, located in the English county of Derbyshire [1]. The first castra in the area was built on the opposite bank of the River Derwent at Strutts Park [1]. It was replaced about AD 80 by a fort on the present site, but this only lasted about forty years, then was decommissioned [1]. There was extensive Roman activity prompted by the fort, which was connected westward by a road to the Icknield Street, and to the east by a road to Sawley on the River Trent [1]. A fort-vicus which manufactured pottery and worked iron was founded 600m to the east on the Sawley Road [1]. The fort was later re-occupied and re-used for a further twenty five years [1].