The wheelwright’s craft is among the oldest known to man, with the wheel being one of humanity’s most comprehensive creations.
A wheelwright is a craftsman who builds or repairs wooden wheels for carts and wagons, while ‘wright’ means ‘a worker or shaper of wood.’
The origins of the wheel dates back to prehistoric times, with the earliest examples traced back over 5,000 years. Spoked wheels evolved in Asia Minor by 2000 BC, and a complete Bronze Age wheel was recently discovered by archaeologists in Peterborough, thought to date from 1100-800 BC.
Records found at Vindolanda, a Roman fort and settlement near Hadrian’s Wall, showed that trading in wheel parts occurred during the Roman era.
