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The Tern Valley Trail - Rodington
Ancient Origins
Archaeological evidence suggests people have lived in the area around Rodington since at least the Iron Age and, near to the Bull Ring, stands one of Rodington's most ancient foundations - St George's parish church. A local place of worship is first recorded at the time of the Domesday survey in 1086, when a Saxon, Toret, was lord of a manor inhabited by only a handful of villagers and serfs. St George's itself was founded by the 13th Century, although no trace of the original church, which was inadequately rebuilt in stone during 1751, survives. After a century of regular repairs to the crumbling edifice, extensive renovations were again carried out in 1851, giving the building its modern day appearance.
After passing the parish church, the Tern Valley Trail crosses the River Roden. Traversing the waterway was not always as easy as it is now and, in the early 19th Century, a ford, across the riverbed itself, was the only means available to passing cart traffic wishing to reach the village. Travellers on horseback had the slightly drier option of a 'wooden horse bridge', although this structure is known to have collapsed several times before it was replaced by a modern road bridge in 1885. At the same time, the highway between the bridge and the village centre was also raised, to alleviate flooding; before then, water had apparently been able to reach the Bull Ring.