Sitting on the east bank of the River Derwent, roughly 0.6 miles north of Derby city centre, Chester Green is one of the most historically significant corners of the city. Officially named Little Chester, the suburb takes its more familiar title from the open parkland at its centre. It falls within the Darley ward alongside Darley Abbey and the West End, and forms part of the unparished area of the Derby district in Derbyshire.
Roman Roots and the Settlement of Derventio
Little Chester holds the distinction of being the oldest continuously inhabited part of Derby. The Romans established a large fortified settlement here, which they named Derventio. The fort, which eventually grew into a town, guarded a crossing over the River Derwent and sat at the junction of five Roman roads. The most significant of these was Ryknield Street, a route connecting Gloucester and the West Country with Yorkshire and the North East. Very little of the original Roman infrastructure survives above ground, though two Roman wells remain – one on Marcus Street and another in the garden of the St Paul’s Church vicarage. Excavations over the past fifty years have uncovered an underfloor heating system on Parker’s Piece, along with a substantial collection of coins, pointing to a prosperous settlement.
From Roman Fort to Public Park
After the Romans left, the area was settled by Angles and has been inhabited ever since. The green itself appears in written records as far back as 1495 and became a public park in 1866 – the same year Little Chester was established as a separate civil parish, having previously been part of the parish of St Alkmund. By 1891 the parish had a population of 966. On 26 March 1898 the civil parish was abolished and absorbed into Derby. Today the name Chester Green, once considered informal, has become the name most people use for the whole suburb.