Many Roman artefacts have been found in the surrounding area. There was a Roman bath house at nearby Welwyn. The village was at the junction of two thoroughfares, the Great North Road and another road called Stane Street from St Albans. The route of this road runs across the parish along the path of Robbery Bottom Lane, continuing on as a public bridleway to Datchworth and then Braughing, on its way to another major Roman town, Colchester.