▁can ▁be ▁trac ed ▁to ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 3 th ▁century , ▁and ▁there ▁are ▁records ▁of ▁cattle ▁driven ▁from ▁Wales ▁to ▁London ▁and ▁ ▁sheep ▁from ▁Lincoln shire ▁to ▁York ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 4 th ▁century . ▁ ▁Dro vers ▁from ▁Scotland ▁were ▁lic ensed ▁in ▁ 1 3 5 9 ▁to ▁drive ▁stock ▁through ▁England . ▁These ▁may ▁be ▁simply ▁the ▁earliest ▁records ▁of ▁a ▁more ▁ancient ▁trade . ▁There ▁is ▁increasing ▁evidence ▁for ▁large - scale ▁cattle - re aring ▁in ▁Bron ze ▁Age ▁and ▁Iron ▁Age ▁Britain . ▁ ▁C attle ▁and ▁sheep ▁were ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Rom ano - B rit ish ▁economy . ▁By ▁the ▁Ang lo - S ax on ▁period ▁there ▁was ▁long ▁distance ▁movement ▁of ▁cattle , ▁including ▁st olen ▁stock . ▁ ▁What ▁is ▁certain ▁is ▁that ▁during ▁the ▁medieval ▁period ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁substantial ▁trade ▁in ▁cattle ▁out ▁of ▁Wales ▁into ▁England , ▁to ▁which ▁cattle ▁from ▁Ireland ▁were ▁added . ▁These ▁were ▁driven ▁across ▁Som erset , ▁W ilt shire ▁and ▁Ber k shire ▁to ▁feed ▁the ▁growing ▁population ▁of ▁London . ▁ ▁The ▁dro vers ▁made ▁use ▁of ▁ancient ▁r idge ways , ▁including ▁the ▁R idge way ▁over ▁the ▁Ber k shire ▁Down s ▁and ▁r idge ways ▁still ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Old ▁Sh aft es bury ▁Dro ve ▁and ▁the ▁Ox ▁Dro ve ▁leading ▁from ▁Sh aft es bury ▁and ▁B land ford ▁to ▁Sal is bury . ▁ ▁Med ieval ▁dro vers ' ▁roads