Chester Green or Little Chester was designated a Conservation Area in September 1991 in recognition of its historic character and townscape value. The area was incorporated into the Borough of Derby in the 1550’s but has an even older history.

Chester Green, the open land which is the centrepiece of the area, is first referred to by name in written records dating back to 1495, and has been a public park since 1886. In modern times the name little Chester, applied to the district as a whole, seems to have overtaken the "correct" name in popular usage

Little Chester was once the site of Roman Derventio, remains of Roman Roads, buildings and defences lie buried under little Chester and the surrounding playing fields. In 80 AD the Roman Governor Julius Agricola moved his armies north to occupy the Pennines. The army abandoned it's fort at Strutts Park and established a new fort at Little Chester. a Roman town soon spread along the road between the river and the racecourse park, which the Romans called Derventio.

In the Middle Ages, Little Chester was held by the Collegiate Church of All Saints, with the seven farms in the area providing income for the Dean and six Canons. Two of these farms are still visible on Old Chester Road: Derwent House and Stone House Prebend (School Farmhouse). Both are listed, although they have been altered over the centuries.

To the south-east of the Conservation Area is St Mary’s Goods Wharf, which contains three significant railway buildings, all of which are Grade II listed. Click here for my separate page on St Mary's Goods Yard

Factoids

• Little Chester was once the site of Roman Derventio

• A large Roman Fort once stood at Little Chester

• A Roman hypocaust was found near the Cricket Pavilion

Above is the Coach & Horses on Mansfield Road, at one time there was an aviary in the car park, complete with parrots, cockatiels and budgies, and also a fish pond. The two pictures below are taken outside the Coach and Horses looking down Mansfield Road away from the town, the one on the left taken in 2006 whereas the one on the right supplied by K Thompson was taken around the turn of the century mote the GNR bridge in the distance, further down under the bridge on the right was the famous Journey's End car breakers

Above left is the Old Bennetts Ironmongers trade centre, the sign says Little Chester Place  II development, 3 bedroom 3 story town houses which are shown above right.

The new buildings on the left are also part of the Little Chester Place II development this site was previously the pharmaceutical firm Daniel's, which packaged medicines, tablets and dressings, and employed many local people

The Great Northern Railway Line was built across the area in 1876-77 bisecting the Roman Camp area from the southern development. Above we can see the low railway bridge that used to connect Caesar Street and Cut Lane, it is now blocked off preventing traffic taking the short cut

Opposite is probably Derby's only non standard type face road sign  which reflects the Roman links of the past.

The pictures below are new developments which have been built just before the bridge note the abundance of For Sale and For Let signs!

A general store on the corner of Roman Road and Mansfield Road complete with a Radio Times painted wall sign

Above on the corner of Chester Green Road are the Bookmakers and Amber Ironing Services, with the latter formally being a cob shop, antique shop, teddy bear and doll shop. Opposite is a view down Chester Green Road which runs down the side of the green, the playground on the green is shown below right and below left is a typical Sunday morning sight, local football teams using the green

Above left is the relatively new Feng Shui Island on Mansfield Road that was constructed for the St Mary's Wharf development, this is supposed to bring calm and relaxing thoughts to the people who pass here everyday, the new Police Station can been seen in the distance and also above right, opposite right is the prestigious office block originally built for Pressac, but now East Midlands College, of Health and Beauty

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