Day 15. Shakersway

We will now look at another ancient road which once formed a major route through Preston. This road, known  as Shakersway, ran up what is now the green; past the church; below Atherstone Hill Farm; down Featherbed Lane, now a farm track; and on to Binton Bridges ten miles away.

                                        The route of Shakersway.

Many ancient routes across Britain – some with an antiquity of two thousand or more years – can be traced as 'hollow' or 'sunken' ways: they are well below the level of the surrounding land, thanks to the erosion by countless feet, hooves and wheels. Many are now footpaths or bridal tracks, and some define parish or country boundaries – often a sign of their origins in the Anglo-Saxon period or even earlier.

Shakersway is not quite a hollow way, but a noticeable change in elevation between the road and the field called The Churchground is evident. As well as erosion by traffic, ploughed soil worked its way down the hill to the road over many centuries. The route can also be seen in the topology of the Top Park leading towards Atherstone Hill Farm.

The change in elevation between Shakersway and The Churchground is clear.

 

Two short lanes either side of the church led from the village green to Shakersway. They were probably used for droving livestock to the open fields. One is now tarmaced; the other is a footpath. The second, which continues past Church House, was known as The Dell in the 20^th century.

 

Shakersway was diverted up the hill and down into Atherstone in the 1760s, when James West extended his parkland across its route (see Day 14). The section along the green may have fallen into disuse around the same time, and the main route through the village adopted its present course.