Salt Ways
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  1. Salt Street - East
  2. Salt Street - South East

Introduction

One of the most important commodities that was traded over considerable distances was salt.  The reason for this trade was simple - salt was one of the few preservatives available and so was required throughout the land. 

There were two sources for salt - the sea and brine springs inland.  Salt produced at the sea side was produced in large pits where the sea water was evaporated out.  There was a plentiful supply of the raw material and so salt producing areas have been discovered all along the sea shore.

The second source - that of salt from brine springs is far less frequent.  In England there are only two known and well developed sites - Droitwich and the Cheshire Wichs.  At these sites the brine was evaporated in large vats to extract the salt.  Both sites by the time of Doomsday were large industrial concerns with trading routes throughout the country.   It is these trade routes which will be explored here.

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Problems of Transporting Salt.

Throughout the country there are tell tale signs that salt ways criss-crossed the landscape.  Many places are known as Salt Street or Salt Way or Saltergate or Saltersford etc.  These are clear indicators of the size and scale of the trade.   The logistics of transporting salt were formidable. In the 17th century, for example,  it was estimated that about 24% of the volume of the salt would evaporate before reaching it’s intended market.   Salt was transported by two main methods. Shorter journeys  via horse and cart -  longer journeys via pack horse.  These pack horse journeys lead to the creation of the salt ways as it was necessary to have a regular route to transport the material and regular markets to supply.

The second problem of the salt trade must have been how to pay for the salt.   A simple barter system would suffice if the product was being transported short distances i.e. you might barter a cow for a load of salt but the cow has to be converted into something of value.  If you only had a short distance to take the cow back to your farm then that would not be too much of a problem but if it is over a longer distance then the cow would become more burdensome and probably a liability.  Because of this it might be that the salt trade relied upon coinage or exchange for other valuables which would be transported and exchanged when the salt trader returned home.  This would not have been a problem within organised economies such as the Roman economy where coinage was freely available and had value.  How such a trade continued during period of English settlement is less clear.   However, there is continuity of use at Droitwich and the Cheshire Wichs which would suggest that the salt trade continued during the early English settlement.   Perhaps some form of exchange did take place which helped the trade continue.

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Distances Covered by Salt Ways

The distance of the salt ways are remarkable.   Many of the old Roman roads were used but many of the other routes are not of any known origin.  Salt from Droitwich supplied the markets in Buckinghamshire and a whole network of salt ways from Cheshire supplied Staffordshire, Derbyshire, West Nottinghamshire, Lancashire and Yorkshire.  Both Droitwich and Cheshire supplied salt to Wales.  

These supply routes indicate a considerable trade system operating over long distances.  They also suggest a sophisticated ordering and distribution system at the markets where the salt was sold.  It is unlikely that such a bulky and valuable commodity was transported over long distances for speculative sales at markets.  To make such a system work well would require a reliable supply, a known market and customers willing and able to purchase the produce. The financial outlay might have been off set by merchants who supplied a local market.  Again this suggest a sophistication which we have no real evidence to support.

 

Known Salt Ways that Supplied West Leicestershire/South Derbyshire

 

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Local Salt Ways

The local focal point for salt in the Mease valley would appear to be Croxall/Edingale.   From examining the area it would seem that the Salt entered the Mease valley from Alrewas and then split at Edingale.  One route went south towards Tamworth - The Portway.  A second route went south east  along the Mease valley finally ending at Atherstone - Salt Street.   A third route went due east through Lullington and Neatherseal and meet with the Walton Way at Acresford.  At this time it is unclear as to whether the Walton Way  was a salt way or rather the best route to a convenient crossing of the Trent. 

The Salt Ways of the Mease Valley Area

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Walton Way

Route:

This ran from Walton on Trent, Coton in the Elms, Grangewood, Acresford, Measham. 

Route of the Walton Way

Notes:

The Walton Way appears to connect Measham to Walton on Trent.  The reasons for this connection are unclear - however there are  some clues which suggest that this might be a very old connection.   The meaning of Walton suggests that this was a settlement where pre English people lived.  Some studies of ‘ham’ settlement (of which Measham is an example) name also suggest that this is a very early English name.  This might indicate that both are old settlements maybe Romano-British in origin.  If this is the case then the Walton Way may prove to be of Roman or pre Roman origin.   However, as with much of the early English development it is all very speculative.

What can not be speculative is that both have churches dedicated to St. Lawrence.   Again this does not in itself indicate anything but might just help to build a picture of connection.  Certainly by 1300 AD there is evidence to suggest that people had interests in both Measham and Walton.

The route itself is still used today as a short cut to cross the Trent and enter mid Staffordshire.  This may just be a coincidence but again it reinforces the impression of connection and a need for such communication.   Interestingly, the Walton Way was made into a turnpike in the mid 19th century - another indicators of continuing need for communication between Measham and Walton.

To conclude the Walton Way is recorded on maps of the area, part of it’s route follows the Salt Street and their is circumstantial evidence to suggest that there is connection between Walton and Measham.   It is quite likely that all this is a coincidence, equally the slim evidence might also indicate a very old road or track through south Derbyshire - perhaps even Roman or earlier in origin.

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Salt Street

The Salt Street runs through the Mease valley.   It enters at Croxall and exits at Clifton before going onto Atherstone.   It would seem that at Edingale the salt way divides into two routes - East and South East.    The east route follows the north bank of the valley whilst the south east follows the southern bank.   Of the two the south east route is the most pronounced but with careful study the east route is also visible.

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Salt Street - East

Route:

This ran from Edingale, Lullington to Seal and joined the Walton Way at Acresford.

 

East Salt Street Route to Acresford

 

As the route splits at Edingale the east route runs straight out of the village towards Lullington.   It passes over the parish boundary and into Lullington parish and cross over another old route running to the north.  This route probably originates in Tamworth and runs north through the area.   After Lullington the route leaves the road and becomes a footpath across country until it reaches Neatherseal.   It then joins up with the Walton Way at Acresford and continues onto Measham.   At this stage it is unclear whether it stops at Measham or more likely continues onto Normanton and possibly Ravenstone or Donnington le Heath.

Notes:

The clearest evidence that this is a salt way is at the start and end of the route.   Where the Salt Street enters the Mease Valley at Alrewas is known as the Salter’s Bridge and the area is known as the Salterholme - a name that dates back to at least 1300AD.   The second piece of evidence is the area that the Walton Way crosses what was the Shell Brook is known as Saltersford.  Indeed the Shell Brook changes it’s name in this area to the Saltersford Brook.   The route between these two points is the most direct route using roads and paths that exist today.

At Measham there would appear to be a route which comes through the village and then crosses the current Tamworth road and then carries on towards Normanton.   If this is the route of the salt way out of Measham is unclear as there is no indication of salt usage along this route.   If this is the correct route then it carries onto the iron age settlement to the east of Normanton and meets the Swepstone way at this point.

Basic Road Layout of Measham Showing Salt Way

 

As with much reconstruction of the past much of this is supposition.  However, it does have the advantage of fitting the known facts and helps join together the undisputed salt land marks in the area. 

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Salt Street - South East

Route:

This ran from Salter’s Bridge crossing of the River Tame near Alrewas, through Edingale, Haunton, Clifton Campville, No Man’s Heath, Twycross, Sheepy Magna.

Notes:

The first part of the route through the Mease valley is easy to follow.  After splitting from the east Salt Street the route crosses the Mease at a ford to the south east of Edingale.   It then runs along the south bank of the Mease valley through Haunton and Clifton Campville.  

After this point the route takes on a new significance as it becomes the boundary between Danelaw and English Mercia.  Through No Man’s Heath the route is known as the Salt Street and it carries on up to the top of the ridge which forms the southern boundary of the Mease Valley.   It then runs along this ridge until it comes to Twycross.  It is the Danelaw boundary for about three miles between Clifton Campville and Twycross.

Route of the Salt Street between Edingale and Sheepy Magna

At Twycross the route then turns sharp right and goes down the other side of the ridge into the Anker valley until it crosses the Anker just south of Sheepy Magna at Pinwall.

Again the most obvious salt connotations are that it is part of the salt way which enters the Mease valley at Alrewas.   Five or so miles further east the route is still known as the Salt Street and follows a ridge of low hills which give it the appearance of a ridge way path.   Near to the top of this ridge was a moot meeting point for the local hundred which again might indicate that the route was a well known one.

Just before Twycross there is a very interesting ditch which runs along the route for about half a mile.   This is a very deep ditch which would appear to be some sort of boundary or perhaps the old Salt Street.   At this stage it is unclear as to the true nature of this ditch - however, it does form the boundary of a grange farm which might explain it’s true meaning.

At Twycross the route heads south and forms part of the old Coventry to Derby Road.   The bridge to route uses to cross the Anker at Pinwall has been in existence since the mid 12th century.

The first part of the route through the Mease valley has clear signs of being a salt way.  It is more difficult to state that the route taken beyond Twycross was a salt way other than there is a strong connection between Coventry and Chester after the Norman conquest through the earl of Chester.

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Portway

Route:

This  ran from Edingale, Harlaston, Portway, Wigginton to Tamworth.

Notes:

In many ways this has the clearest sign of an old route.   Portways are seen as old routes which connected Ports or markets.   Ports by the 10th century were usual situated within Burhs.   Tamworth was such a place and so it is easy to see that this route was an old route.

As to whether it was a salt way is perhaps best described as guilt by association.   There are at least two other routes from Edingale which indicate they were salt ways - why shouldn’t the oldest route also be used to carry salt ?  There doesn’t seem to be any good reason why this shouldn’t be the case and so it may be safe to assume that this route was also used to convey salt.

Portway from Edingale to Tamworth.

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Why Cheshire not Droitwich.

If the Portway was a salt route it might also indicate that the source of this salt was Chester rather than Droitwich.  Droitwich is to the south west of Tamworth and it would seem illogical that salt would travel down the Portway to Tamworth from Droitwich.   Of course the salt could have travelled up the Portway to Edingale and then onto the east.  Again this does not seem likely as there are far better routes to Measham from Tamworth than this route.  Equally if salt was to be transported to Atherstone from Tamworth there are at least two better route - one being the Watling Street.

There is an early connection between Cheshire and Tamworth in Wulfric Spot’s will.  Here he makes provision for his daughter at Tamworth.  He also grants certain rights to the Abbey at Burton on it’s foundation (c1002) at Middlewich. To counter this argument though, it appears that the Ryknild Way may have been a salt way known as the Upper Salt Way and this came from Droitwich.

The market for salt was not clear cut and undoubtedly some Droitwich salt did supply the area.  However, much of the available evidence would seem to point towards the source of the salt which flowed into the Mease valley as the Chester wichs. Measham and the west of Leicestershire probably formed the furthest point of the Cheshire salt market as there are several salt ways in east Leicestershire which would seem to indicate that they came from the salt industry of the Lincolnshire cost.   There is little doubt that salt flowed through the Mease valley - as to the amount of salt and it’s value there is no real evidence - however, if other salt ways are anything to go by it may have been considerable.