How old is the Icknield Way: ancient track or medieval myth?

We all ‘know’ that the Icknield Way is the ‘most ancient road in Britain’, and prehistorians have been celebrating it as such for many years. 

It was supposedly the focus for much Neolithic and Bronze Age activity, including trading flint from East Anglia with the Thames valley and further afield, with sites clustered along its route. Research in recent years has begun to question how accurate this is and suggests a surprising conclusion.