Watling and other names along the way

Watling Street was not the Roman name for the road.  It's a Saxon name, that comes from the Waeclingas, people who lived around what is now St Albans, named Waeclingaceste in some sources. Adding 'street', which comes from the Saxon name for the old Roman roads they found crossing the country, this gave the name, in its modern spelling 'Watling Street' for the road in that area. In due course this name cam to estend to the road along its length to Wroxeter, and in the other direction to London, and all the way back to Dover (now largely the A2). The use extended such that Watling Street became almost a generic name for all Roman roads in Britain, and so there are others of this name which have nothing to do with the A5 or even the A2.

A purist in this respect, I'm using the term to apply only to the original line of the Roman road (numbered I by Margary) which later became the A5: and I'm rather pleased to find how much the old name is still in use.

The name Watling Street (or Old Watling Street or, in Milton Keynes, 'V4 Watling Street')  still applies to much of the road - more than half of it as far I can establish where it has a name at all. Despite many local names like High Street, or indicating where it goes, like Holyhead Road, the historic name is represented in every county outside London.

It also gives its name to buildings. Along my walk, I have observed and counted 14 residential properties: nine Watling Houses, two each of Watling Lodge and Watling Cottage and one Watling Garth. There are also blocks or estates: Watling Court, Estate and Gardens. The name appears in four farms and six other business premises - including the Watling Street Cafe where I stopped for a tea break, also three sidestreets with the Watling name plus something other than Street, two schools and a Police Station.

Oddest of all is a building in Frogmore with WATLAND PLACE 1898 in it, then added on next door is NEW WATLING PLACE 1899. It looks as if the latter was pointedly correcting the spelling of the neighbour.

There are other 'Roman' namings: a few Roman Roads, Ways and other side street names, a Julius Caesar Way, a Centurion Roundabout and Centurion Park (not in the same place). I patronised the Roman Way Garden Centre (another tea break) and stayed at the rather strange Roman Way Hotel.

The 'street' term, not in its modern usage, but meaning an old Roman road, is part of Theobald Street, Colneystreet and Park Street in Hertfordshire. Markyate appears as 'Markyate or Market Street' in older forms, and Weedon Bec was also named 'Weedon on the Street'. Other forms appear in Stretton Baskerville, Streetway, Stretton and Streetfield.