Bishop's Stortford
Encyclopedia
Bishop's Stortford is a historic market town
and civil parish in the district of East Hertfordshire
in the county of Hertfordshire
in England
. It is situated just west of the M11 motorway
, on the county
boundary with Essex
and is the closest large town to London Stansted Airport
and part of the London commuter belt
. Bishop's Stortford is 29 miles (46.7 km) north east of Charing Cross
in the centre of London and 35 miles (56.3 km) from Liverpool Street station
where the railway line from Cambridge to London, which runs through the town, terminates. In the 2006 edition of the Channel 4
"Best and Worst Places to Live in the UK", East Hertfordshire
was the seventh best district to live in. The town has a population of 34,826.
settlement on the Roman road
of Stane Street between Braughing
and Colchester
. After the Roman Empire
broke down, the small town was abandoned in the 5th century.
A new Saxon
settlement grew up on the site. At that time, the settlement was known as Esterteferd, probably because a family called Estere owned or controlled the river stort around which the settlement was based. Over time, this became Stortford. In 1060, William, Bishop of London
bought the Stortford manor and estate for eight pounds, and the town has been known as Bishop's Stortford ever since.
At the time of the Domesday book
the town had a population of around 120 inhabitants. The Normans
built a motte and bailey wooden castle
in the town, but by the Tudor period
it was in ruins (the mound still remains). Development of the town increased with the presence of a river and the roads. A weekly market was set up for farmers to sell their goods
Only the font survives from the Norman church of St Michael's, which was completely rebuilt in the early fifteenth century, followed by alterations and restoration in both the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. Both the belfry and the spire which dominates the town and surrounding countryside were built in 1812.
Despite outbreaks of the plague
in the 16th century and 17th century, the town continued to grow with an approximate population of 1,200 by this point
Unusually, the River Stort
is named after the town, and not the town after the river. When early cartographers came to the town in the early 17th century, they reasoned that the town must have been named for the ford over the Stort and assumed the river was called the Stort. It has been ever since. Until then, there was no official name for the river.
After 1769, the River Stort was made navigable, and the town was made a stagecoach
stop on the Mail coach
road between Cambridge
and London
.
By 1801, Bishop's Stortford had become a market town
and a corn exchange
had been established while the main industry was malting. In 1842 the railway came to Bishop's Stortford; another introduction of the Victorian era
was the opening of a hospital, in 1895.
At the beginning of the 20th century, in 1901, the population was over 7,000. By 1951, Bishop's Stortford had expanded further, to 13,000. During World War II
, Bishop's Stortford was the evacuation centre for many Britons, including the entire Clapton Girls Technology College
. Throughout the second half of the 20th century, Bishop's Stortford has seen further growth since it became a commuter town
. The M11 motorway
, nearby Stansted Airport, and the train links to London and Cambridge have contributed to the town having a population of around 35,000, as of the 2001 national census, but future growth is expected to increase the population to 45,000.
Bishop's Stortford has six outer suburb
s: Thorley, Thorley Park, Havers, Bishops Park, St Michael's Mead and Hockerill. Hockerill is, however, a separate ecclesiastical parish comprised originally of the area east of the River Stort, centred around the old coaching inns and All Saints' Church in Stansted Road and including Bishops' Stortford Railway Station. Post-war development has enlarged this area to include the Parsonage Lane, Snowley and Collins Cross suburbs, and the Herts and Essex Hospital. Little Hallingbury and Takeley, too, are within the ambit of Bishop's Stortford; they are, however, in Essex
rather than Hertfordshire
.
In March and April 1825, a number of buildings in Bishop's Stortford were set alight and caused great alarm in the town. A committee was formed and a £500 reward offered for information on the arsonist. Soon a number of threatening letters were received, warning in part that "Stortford shall be laid in ashes". Thomas Rees was arrested and found guilty on the charge of sending the letters, but not of arson. He was transported to Australia as a convict.
In 1935 the parish church of All Saints' Hockerill was destroyed by fire and in 1937 a new church, to a spacious, light and airy design by the architect Stephen Dykes Bower
, was erected in its place. It is a Grade II listed building and the tower dominates the eastern skyline of Bishop's Stortford. The building contains a notable rose window designed by Hugh Easton, a two manual Henry Willis II organ and is a popular venue for concerts.
Harry Roberts
was arrested in a wooded area within the abandoned RAF Sawbridgeworth at nearby Thorley
whilst on the run from the Police
following the shooting of three policemen in London
in 1966. He was taken to Bishop's Stortford police station where he was charged and later moved to London
. He was found guilty and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
On 28 August 2007, two men and a teenager were shot dead at Plaw Hatch Close in Bishop's Stortford. Two women were seriously injured in the attack that was around 9:35 pm. The men killed were named as Keith Cowell, 52, and his son Matthew, 17, who died alongside 33-year-old Tony Dulieu of Billericay. Keith Cowell's wife, Nicole, had left for work at Stansted Airport 10 minutes before the attack. A three-year-old girl called 'Angel' was thought to have been in the house at the time of the shooting. Chief Superintendent Al Thomas of the Hertfordshire Police said, "We share the concern and sense of shock within the community. Early information suggests this was a targeted incident and not a random attack." Police presence was dramatically increased after the incident in and around the town. However, crime rates in the town are well below the national average.
and surrounding area to make way for a new town centre area and the building of new city-type apartment
s and penthouses on the riverside and around the town centre. Jackson Square (a modern shopping complex) was rebuilt and an extension added with many cafes, bars and shops. The developments are almost finished. Also, the Havers estate (an outer part of Bishop's Stortford) is being redeveloped with new houses and flats. There are many plans for further expansion and development of the town due to its continued growth and the expected enlargement of Stansted Airport
.
Bishop's Stortford is useful for a large number of Herts
and Essex
villages in its area, as most of the nearby towns (excluding Harlow
) are small and Bishop's Stortford serves as a centre for meeting, shopping, and entertainment.
is a state-of-the-art venue which incorporates a theatre, cinema, dance studio and conference facilities. Situated within the complex, in the house where Cecil Rhodes was born, is the Bishop's Stortford Museum. It has a local history collection, a unique collection relating to Rhodes and the British Empire
in Africa as well as its temporary exhibition gallery.
Bishop's Stortford Museum
area, and this can be backed up by the fact that in the 2010 national elections Mark Prisk
was elected for the Conservative Party
with a majority of the votes cast (53.8%). Bishop's Stortford's constituency, Hertford and Stortford, covers many other settlements including Hertford
. Caroline Spelman
, the Conservative Cabinet Minister
, is also from the town.
The most controversial political issue for the town relates to the expansion of Stansted Airport. A long-standing protest group called Stop Stansted Expansion vehemently opposes unsustainable growth at the airport and is wholly against plans for a second runway.
The town also has a Youth Council that meets once a month. It is made up of students from the local schools, and many local and youth issues are discussed.
The International Monarchist League
is based here.
. The town is also home to many people working in the tourist industry, including hotels, catering and airline staff, because it is the closest large town to Stansted Airport. In total, about 85% work in the services sector (2001 census). Bishop's Stortford is served by a variety of shops, both high street chains and long-established family firms. The main retail streets are South, Potter, North and Hockerill Streets. There is a modern shopping complex called Jackson Square. Market days are Thursday and Saturday, which comprise of a selection of stalls with a variety of goods including bags and luggage, flowers, cards and clothing.
Bishop's Stortford station
is on the London Liverpool Street to Cambridge
main line
operated by National Express East Anglia. The Stansted Express
services take around 25 minutes to reach Tottenham Hale
and 40 minutes to reach London Liverpool Street and allow Bishop's Stortford to be part of the London Commuter Belt
. Epping tube station
is about 12 miles away from Bishop's Stortford which means some residents use the London Underground station rather than the main line station at Bishop's Stortford.
Bishop's Stortford is close to junction 8 of the M11 motorway
, which runs from London and the M25
north to Cambridge, and the town is a frequent stop-off point for travellers using the nearby Stansted airport. To the north of the town is the A120
, which meets the A10 at Buntingford
to the west and the A12 at Colchester
to the east.
Stansted Airport is on the town's doorstep, with easy transport via rail or bus between there and the town. This airport is mainly used for flights to Europe and is the third largest airport serving London.
The town has many bus
routes, including the 308 main bus route for travel within Bishop's Stortford and to Stansted Airport. Other, longer routes like the 510 (Stansted Airport - Harlow
) link Bishop's Stortford with other nearby towns, and several services exist to connect the plethora of nearby villages to the town.
There used to be a park and ride system to the town centre, but this has now ceased to operate due to the lack of support.
with the following towns: Villiers-sur-Marne
in France
Friedberg
in Germany
is responsible for education. Bishop's Stortford follows the English schools model of primary school, secondary school
, and further education
college. There are 13 primary and 5 secondary schools (two of which are single sex). The town does not have any further education colleges for post-16 education, as all schools in Hertfordshire have sixth forms.
There is also an independent school, the Bishop's Stortford College
, which covers the whole educational spectrum from ages 4 to 18.
Many of the secondary schools in the Bishop's Stortford area have gained special college status, variously for technology, sciences, languages, music or performing arts. Secondary schools include St Mary's Roman Catholic School, Birchwood High School, Hockerill Anglo-European College
, The Bishop's Stortford High School
(commonly referred to as the 'Boys High')http://www.tbshs.herts.sch.uk and The Hertfordshire and Essex High School
. The latter two schools are single-sex schools, for boys and girls respectively, although both have mixed-sex sixth-forms.
In July 2008, Herts and Essex High School and Bishop's Stortford High School submitted a planning application to merge to a single site funded by the building of new residential estates on their existing land. This met with vigorous opposition, most notably from the Bishop's Stortford Civic Federation. Over 930 letters of objection were received and eventually the plan collapsed in September 2009 just prior to the planning hearing when the schools withdrew their application.
Education Charity Inclusion Trust is based in Bishop's Stortford.
, and various leagues are based in the town. Sporting facilities consist of the Bishop's Stortford Rugby
Club, the hockey
club, the tennis club, the squash club, the swimming club and the Bishop's Stortford Golf
Club. In the town centre there is also a Cannons Health Club (now Nuffield Health Fitness & Wellbeing), this is situated by the cinema.
Bishop's Stortford Cricket Club play their home matches at Cricket Field Lane
, which is also a home venue for Hertfordshire County Cricket Club
. Hockerill Cricket Club play at their ground on Beldams Lane which they share with Bishop's Stortford Running Club (BSRC) supports road running
and cross-country running, organising four training sessions a week (two coached), and also has an active multi-sports section for those interested in triathlon
, duathlon
and adventure racing.
Bishop's Stortford Hockey Club (BSHC) share the Cricket Field Lane
clubhouse with Bishop's Stortford Cricket Club, and boasts a full 10 senior sides - 6 mens and 4 ladies - along with a thriving junior section. The Club has a number of former international players still involved with coaching or playing including Rob Clift (Great British Gold Medalist), in addition to a number of senior members who still represent their country at Masters level.
Bishop's Stortford also boasts two association football clubs - Bishop's Stortford F.C.
, who play in the Conference North
, and Bishop's Stortford Swifts, who play in the Essex Olympian Football League
.
In nearby Thorley
, there is also a cricket club: Thorley CC, and at Birchwood High School on Parsonage Lane, Shotokan Karate Classes are run every Saturday at 9.30am by the KSTSK Association
detachment and an Air Training Corps
Squadron. The ACF detachment is located at the Northgate Activities Centre and parades on Monday nights from 17:15 to 21:30. The Air Cadet unit, 1096 (Bishop's Stortford) Squadron is based in Waytemore Road (CM23 3GR) and parades on Monday and Thursday evenings and caters for cadets aged between 13-18.
GAP Youth Group is affiliated with St James the Great Church in Thorley and is for teenagers from school year 8. The group offers fun, friendship and discussion on challenging everyday issues. This group meets every Sunday between 7:30pm and 9pm at the Barnabus centre, Church Lane, Thorley.
benefited from a lottery
grant in 2006 and is now the town's biggest venue for live music
and theatre
, hosting the town's most popular rock and indie night "Rhodes Rocks!" every month, as well as appearances from many international artists including Midge Ure, The Beat, Ade Edmondson and many others.
Another live music venue in Bishop's Stortford, supporting rock, blues and folk bands is The Half Moon at the top end of North Street. It is a traditional and somewhat untouched pub that has a small back-room with stage. The Half Moon is also home to The Acoustic Club every Thursday, a monthly blues club and Club Blub, a monthly live showcase for both established acts and new bands.
Among the notable appearances at Club Blub have been Billy Lunn of UK indie act The Subways
, Turin Brakes
, The Rifles
, Ed Drewett
and Morning Parade
.
Bishops's Stortford is where the youth choir Cantate is based. The choir holds concerts in the surrounding area, including many in the town itself.
and award winning filmmaker Eran Creevy
.
The first mention of the Star was in 1636 when it was held by one John Ward, and though the brick exterior gives it the appearance of being a much later building, they cover a timber-frame structure the foundations of which were likely to have been laid in the 16th century. Former town brewers Hawkes & Co bought the Star in 1808.
An entrance at the corner of the building that once opened onto Water Lane was bricked-up in the early 20th century, perhaps to protect departing patrons from potential accidents due to increased traffic. The side of the building is half covered in traditional weatherboard, while at the rear can be found the inn’s old water pump and former stables. The stable yard later became a car park but is now a small pub garden. And in the early 20th century the Star advertised accommodation for cyclists, making it particularly popular with people from local villages who would stop overnight to ensure an early start to Thursday’s market.
Former celebrated local artist, John Kynnersley Kirby, a painter of many local scenes and characters in the early 20th century, once used the interior of the Star for a painting entitled ‘The Slate Club Secretary’. In it he portrayed a freelance journalist named Jimmy Sell set against the pub’s smoke-laden Victorian wallpaper.
and a Nuffield House Health Club. There have been many changes at the Anchor Street Leisure Complex resulting in many of the units now lying empty. Kentucky Fried Chicken was the first business to shut down. The Chicago Rock Café went into administration causing its closure at the end of February 2010. Newbury Leisure Ltd., the operator of the Lakeside Bowling Alley, decided to close its Bishops Stortford site in November 2010 to save the other 9 sites they have in the UK. The McDonalds closed at this site on the 11th December 2010. The reporter at Herts and Essex Observer, Burton (2010) stated that ‘this has led to concerns that Bishops Stortford may become a town of ‘two halves’, this was the view of civic federation chairman Richard Hannah, who feared for the entire South Street area’s future after the Lakeside Superbowl in nearby Anchor Street closed.
The businesses left at the Anchor Street Leisure Complex are the Empire Cinema and the Nuffield Health Fitness and Wellbeing Centre. A new nightclub was bidding (November 2010) to open in the former Chicago Rock Cafe premises as well as a new seafood eatery, called Fishy Biz in the former KFC branch, which opened in November 2010.
The Lemon Tree restaurant in Water Lane is listed in both The Good Food Guide and the Michelin Guide
. In late 2006, town centre restaurant, Host, opened a private members' bar above its restaurant in the Corn Exchange
building.
Nightlife spots in Bishop's Stortford include Scorch Nightclub, The Fountain and many other late opening wine bars. There is also The Terrace wine bar
open during the summer months with food and live music.
There is also a concrete skateboard park and metal halfpipe located in the town park opposite Waitrose. It is easily reachable from Bishop's Stortford railway station.
The Water Lane Theatre Group, an amateur drama group, has been based in the town since 1951.
Bishop's Stortford Musical Theatre Company, an amateur musical theatre group, has been based in the town since 1963 performing every year.
Cromarty Vets was founded in Bishop’s Stortford in 2007. The group has a Christian ethos and is particularly geared at the 35 plus age group. The aim of the group is to support, mentor and encourage men in tackling the pressures of being a father, husband, lone parent or any other aspect of family and working life. This is achieved through fellowship and friendship via a number of veteran team sports and social events. There are regular football matches played at the Hockerill Anglo-European School’s all weather pitches on Mondays at 7.45pm pitch side ready for an 8pm kick-off. Afterwards there is the opportunity to enjoy a drink and chat at the Red Cow Public House.
Street Pastors
in Bishops Stortford began in September 2008 with an original team of 16 volunteers; this has now grown to 20. The team of volunteers has regularly been out in Bishop's Stortford on alternate Friday and Saturday nights between 10pm and 3am. This is a nationwide scheme, run by Ascension Trust, that Bishop's Stortford has become affiliated to, providing practical support in the form of water and flipflops, and an opportunity for people to talk. It is supported by the members of the local churches in Bishops Stortford, the local council, and the Hertfordshire police force.
Bishops Stortford has grown around the River Stort valley, with the town centre lying about 60 metres above sea level, rising to over 100 metres above sea level on the Eastern and Western margins of the town.
Being in South East England
, the town enjoys a warmer climate than most of the United Kingdom
and has some of the hottest summers in Britain; it is also one of the driest places in the country. Temperatures may sometimes reach the mid-30s Celsius in the summer. Snow
is often seen in the winter months because the town is near to the east coast, where cold, moist air is brought in from the North Sea
and cold fronts from northern Europe. In recent years there has been up to three inches of snow early in the year which has resulted in minor disruption to transport and caused some schools to close for several days. However, the snow tends not to persist in any noticeable quantity.
Water for the town is supplied by Three Valleys Water
. The water is classed as very hard with over 345 mg/l of
minerals and 0.225 mg/l of fluoride.
The highest temperature recorded at Stansted was 35.0c(95.0f) during the August 2003 heatwave. In an average year the hottest day should reach 28.8c(83.8f), and 12.3 days will record a temperature of 25.1c (77.2f) or more.
The lowest temperature recorded at Stansted was -14.7c(5.5f) during December 1981. The lowest in recent years. Notably cold minimum temperatures tend not to occur due to the lack of higher terrain meaning little cold air drainage occurs. The average annual coldest night should fall to -7.6c(18.3f), with 47.3 air frosts being recorded in an 'average' year.
Typically, the Bishops Stortford area will receive an average of 622mm of rain during the course of the year
1mm or more of rain will be recorded on 114.7 days of the year.
Temperature averages refer to the period 1971-00, rainfall averages 1961-90.
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
and civil parish in the district of East Hertfordshire
East Hertfordshire
East Hertfordshire is a local government district in Hertfordshire, England. Its council has offices in Bishop's Stortford and Hertford ....
in the county of Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is situated just west of the M11 motorway
M11 motorway
The M11 motorway in England is a major road running approximately north from the North Circular Road in South Woodford in north-east London to the A14, north-west of Cambridge.-Route:...
, on the county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
boundary with Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
and is the closest large town to London Stansted Airport
London Stansted Airport
-Cargo:-Statistics:-Infrastructure:-Terminal and satellite buildings:Stansted is the newest passenger airport of all the main London airports. The terminal is an oblong glass building, and is separated in to three areas: Check-in concourse, arrivals and departures...
and part of the London commuter belt
London commuter belt
The London commuter belt is the metropolitan area surrounding London, England from which it is practical to commute to work in the capital. It is alternatively known as the Greater South East, the London metropolitan area or the Southeast metropolitan area...
. Bishop's Stortford is 29 miles (46.7 km) north east of Charing Cross
Charing Cross
Charing Cross denotes the junction of Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square in central London, England. It is named after the now demolished Eleanor cross that stood there, in what was once the hamlet of Charing. The site of the cross is now occupied by an equestrian...
in the centre of London and 35 miles (56.3 km) from Liverpool Street station
Liverpool Street station
Liverpool Street railway station, also known as London Liverpool Street or simply Liverpool Street, is both a central London railway terminus and a connected London Underground station in the north-eastern corner of the City of London, England...
where the railway line from Cambridge to London, which runs through the town, terminates. In the 2006 edition of the Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
"Best and Worst Places to Live in the UK", East Hertfordshire
East Hertfordshire
East Hertfordshire is a local government district in Hertfordshire, England. Its council has offices in Bishop's Stortford and Hertford ....
was the seventh best district to live in. The town has a population of 34,826.
History
Nothing of historical significance is known of the Bishop's Stortford area until it became a small RomanRoman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
settlement on the Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
of Stane Street between Braughing
Braughing
Braughing is a village and civil parish, between the rivers Quin and Rib, in the non-metropolitan district of East Hertfordshire, part of the English county of Hertfordshire, England...
and Colchester
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
. After the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
broke down, the small town was abandoned in the 5th century.
A new Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
settlement grew up on the site. At that time, the settlement was known as Esterteferd, probably because a family called Estere owned or controlled the river stort around which the settlement was based. Over time, this became Stortford. In 1060, William, Bishop of London
Bishop of London
The Bishop of London is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers 458 km² of 17 boroughs of Greater London north of the River Thames and a small part of the County of Surrey...
bought the Stortford manor and estate for eight pounds, and the town has been known as Bishop's Stortford ever since.
At the time of the Domesday book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
the town had a population of around 120 inhabitants. The Normans
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
built a motte and bailey wooden castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
in the town, but by the Tudor period
Tudor period
The Tudor period usually refers to the period between 1485 and 1603, specifically in relation to the history of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England whose first monarch was Henry VII...
it was in ruins (the mound still remains). Development of the town increased with the presence of a river and the roads. A weekly market was set up for farmers to sell their goods
Only the font survives from the Norman church of St Michael's, which was completely rebuilt in the early fifteenth century, followed by alterations and restoration in both the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. Both the belfry and the spire which dominates the town and surrounding countryside were built in 1812.
Despite outbreaks of the plague
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
in the 16th century and 17th century, the town continued to grow with an approximate population of 1,200 by this point
Unusually, the River Stort
Stort Navigation
The Stort Navigation is the canalised section of the River Stort running from the town of Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire downstream to its confluence with the River Lee Navigation at Feildes Weir near Rye House, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire.-History:...
is named after the town, and not the town after the river. When early cartographers came to the town in the early 17th century, they reasoned that the town must have been named for the ford over the Stort and assumed the river was called the Stort. It has been ever since. Until then, there was no official name for the river.
After 1769, the River Stort was made navigable, and the town was made a stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
stop on the Mail coach
Mail coach
In Great Britain, the mail coach or post coach was a horse-drawn carriage that carried mail deliveries, from 1784. In Ireland, the first mail coach began service from Dublin in 1789. The coach was drawn by four horses and had seating for four passengers inside. Further passengers were later allowed...
road between Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
and a corn exchange
Corn exchange
A corn exchange or grain exchange was a building where farmers and merchants traded cereal grains. Such trade was common in towns and cities across Great Britain and Ireland until the 19th century, but as the trade became centralised in the 20th century many such buildings were used for other...
had been established while the main industry was malting. In 1842 the railway came to Bishop's Stortford; another introduction of the Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
was the opening of a hospital, in 1895.
At the beginning of the 20th century, in 1901, the population was over 7,000. By 1951, Bishop's Stortford had expanded further, to 13,000. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Bishop's Stortford was the evacuation centre for many Britons, including the entire Clapton Girls Technology College
Clapton girls technology college
Clapton Girls Technology College is a secondary school located in Hackney, London, England.-Admissions:There are 900 pupils in the school. Clapton Girls Technology College is amongst the top 5% of schools that have improved nationally. More than half the students that attend are eligible for free...
. Throughout the second half of the 20th century, Bishop's Stortford has seen further growth since it became a commuter town
Commuter town
A commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commutes out to earn their livelihood. Many commuter towns act as suburbs of a nearby metropolis that workers travel to daily, and many suburbs are commuter towns...
. The M11 motorway
M11 motorway
The M11 motorway in England is a major road running approximately north from the North Circular Road in South Woodford in north-east London to the A14, north-west of Cambridge.-Route:...
, nearby Stansted Airport, and the train links to London and Cambridge have contributed to the town having a population of around 35,000, as of the 2001 national census, but future growth is expected to increase the population to 45,000.
Bishop's Stortford has six outer suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
s: Thorley, Thorley Park, Havers, Bishops Park, St Michael's Mead and Hockerill. Hockerill is, however, a separate ecclesiastical parish comprised originally of the area east of the River Stort, centred around the old coaching inns and All Saints' Church in Stansted Road and including Bishops' Stortford Railway Station. Post-war development has enlarged this area to include the Parsonage Lane, Snowley and Collins Cross suburbs, and the Herts and Essex Hospital. Little Hallingbury and Takeley, too, are within the ambit of Bishop's Stortford; they are, however, in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
rather than Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
.
In March and April 1825, a number of buildings in Bishop's Stortford were set alight and caused great alarm in the town. A committee was formed and a £500 reward offered for information on the arsonist. Soon a number of threatening letters were received, warning in part that "Stortford shall be laid in ashes". Thomas Rees was arrested and found guilty on the charge of sending the letters, but not of arson. He was transported to Australia as a convict.
In 1935 the parish church of All Saints' Hockerill was destroyed by fire and in 1937 a new church, to a spacious, light and airy design by the architect Stephen Dykes Bower
Stephen Dykes Bower
Stephen Ernest Dykes Bower was a British church architect and Gothic Revival designer best known for his work at Westminster Abbey.-Early life and education:...
, was erected in its place. It is a Grade II listed building and the tower dominates the eastern skyline of Bishop's Stortford. The building contains a notable rose window designed by Hugh Easton, a two manual Henry Willis II organ and is a popular venue for concerts.
Harry Roberts
Harry Roberts (murderer)
Harry Maurice Roberts is a career criminal who instigated the Shepherd's Bush Murders in which three police officers were shot dead in 1966. The killings happened after the plain-clothed officers approached the van which Roberts and two other men were sitting in, in Braybrook Street, near Wormwood...
was arrested in a wooded area within the abandoned RAF Sawbridgeworth at nearby Thorley
Thorley, Hertfordshire
Thorley is a civil parish in Hertfordshire, England, encompassing the hamlets Thorley Street, Thorley Wash and Old Thorley; near Bishop's Stortford in Hertfordshire. It is mentioned in the Domesday book as Torlei, belonging to Geoffrey de Mandeville, a notable Norman Baron...
whilst on the run from the Police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
following the shooting of three policemen in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1966. He was taken to Bishop's Stortford police station where he was charged and later moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He was found guilty and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
On 28 August 2007, two men and a teenager were shot dead at Plaw Hatch Close in Bishop's Stortford. Two women were seriously injured in the attack that was around 9:35 pm. The men killed were named as Keith Cowell, 52, and his son Matthew, 17, who died alongside 33-year-old Tony Dulieu of Billericay. Keith Cowell's wife, Nicole, had left for work at Stansted Airport 10 minutes before the attack. A three-year-old girl called 'Angel' was thought to have been in the house at the time of the shooting. Chief Superintendent Al Thomas of the Hertfordshire Police said, "We share the concern and sense of shock within the community. Early information suggests this was a targeted incident and not a random attack." Police presence was dramatically increased after the incident in and around the town. However, crime rates in the town are well below the national average.
Demographics
- Population: 38,078
- Median age: 36
- Retirees: 15.93%
- Unemployed: 1.63%
- Educated to Degree level: 25.83%
- Full-time students: 2.27% (864)
- Total migrants: 12.68% (4,829)
- Average distance travelled to fixed place of work: 19.18 km
Redevelopment
The town centre is undergoing many changes, with the demolition of the old multi-storey car parkMulti-storey car park
A multi-storey car-park is a building designed specifically to be for car parking and where there are a number of floors or levels on which parking takes place...
and surrounding area to make way for a new town centre area and the building of new city-type apartment
Apartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
s and penthouses on the riverside and around the town centre. Jackson Square (a modern shopping complex) was rebuilt and an extension added with many cafes, bars and shops. The developments are almost finished. Also, the Havers estate (an outer part of Bishop's Stortford) is being redeveloped with new houses and flats. There are many plans for further expansion and development of the town due to its continued growth and the expected enlargement of Stansted Airport
London Stansted Airport
-Cargo:-Statistics:-Infrastructure:-Terminal and satellite buildings:Stansted is the newest passenger airport of all the main London airports. The terminal is an oblong glass building, and is separated in to three areas: Check-in concourse, arrivals and departures...
.
Bishop's Stortford is useful for a large number of Herts
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
and Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
villages in its area, as most of the nearby towns (excluding Harlow
Harlow
Harlow is a new town and local government district in Essex, England. It is located in the west of the county and on the border with Hertfordshire, on the Stort Valley, The town is near the M11 motorway and forms part of the London commuter belt.The district has a current population of 78,889...
) are small and Bishop's Stortford serves as a centre for meeting, shopping, and entertainment.
Rhodes Arts Complex
The Rhodes Arts ComplexRhodes Arts Complex
The Rhodes Arts Complex is a contemporary venue for arts, culture and conferences in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire. The complex was refurbished in 2005 and has a 300-seat theatre, a multi-purpose studio space, a museum and large exhibition gallery....
is a state-of-the-art venue which incorporates a theatre, cinema, dance studio and conference facilities. Situated within the complex, in the house where Cecil Rhodes was born, is the Bishop's Stortford Museum. It has a local history collection, a unique collection relating to Rhodes and the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
in Africa as well as its temporary exhibition gallery.
Bishop's Stortford Museum
Politics
The town is generally seen as a conservativeConservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
area, and this can be backed up by the fact that in the 2010 national elections Mark Prisk
Mark Prisk
Michael Mark Prisk is a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. He is the Member of Parliament for Hertford and Stortford, and was appointed Minister of State for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in May 2010...
was elected for the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
with a majority of the votes cast (53.8%). Bishop's Stortford's constituency, Hertford and Stortford, covers many other settlements including Hertford
Hertford
Hertford is the county town of Hertfordshire, England, and is also a civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district of the county. Forming a civil parish, the 2001 census put the population of Hertford at about 24,180. Recent estimates are that it is now around 28,000...
. Caroline Spelman
Caroline Spelman
Caroline Alice Spelman is a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom who has served as the Member of Parliament for Meriden in the West Midlands since 1997...
, the Conservative Cabinet Minister
Cabinet of the United Kingdom
The Cabinet of the United Kingdom is the collective decision-making body of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, composed of the Prime Minister and some 22 Cabinet Ministers, the most senior of the government ministers....
, is also from the town.
The most controversial political issue for the town relates to the expansion of Stansted Airport. A long-standing protest group called Stop Stansted Expansion vehemently opposes unsustainable growth at the airport and is wholly against plans for a second runway.
The town also has a Youth Council that meets once a month. It is made up of students from the local schools, and many local and youth issues are discussed.
The International Monarchist League
International Monarchist League
The International Monarchist League is an organisation dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the monarchical system of government and the principle of monarchy worldwide...
is based here.
Economy
Bishop's Stortford is a particularly affluent area and this is partly due to the town's status as a commuter town for the (mainly financial) workers in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The town is also home to many people working in the tourist industry, including hotels, catering and airline staff, because it is the closest large town to Stansted Airport. In total, about 85% work in the services sector (2001 census). Bishop's Stortford is served by a variety of shops, both high street chains and long-established family firms. The main retail streets are South, Potter, North and Hockerill Streets. There is a modern shopping complex called Jackson Square. Market days are Thursday and Saturday, which comprise of a selection of stalls with a variety of goods including bags and luggage, flowers, cards and clothing.
Transport and services
Bishop's Stortford owes its continued growth to developments in transport. It is well serviced by all forms of transport:Bishop's Stortford railway station
Bishop's Stortford railway station serves the town of Bishop's Stortford in Hertfordshire, England. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by National Express East Anglia; this includes the 2 or 3tph Stansted Express service.-History:...
is on the London Liverpool Street to Cambridge
Cambridge railway station
Cambridge railway station is a railway station serving the city of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located at the end of Station Road, off Hills Road, 1 mile south-east of the city centre...
main line
West Anglia Main Line
The West Anglia Main Line is one of the two main lines which run from London Liverpool Street, the other being the Great Eastern Main Line. It runs generally north from London, through the towns of Cheshunt, Broxbourne, Harlow, Bishop's Stortford and Audley End station before reaching Cambridge,...
operated by National Express East Anglia. The Stansted Express
Stansted Express
Stansted Express is a sub-brand of National Express East Anglia. It is the direct train service linking central London to Stansted Airport, one of London's major air hubs...
services take around 25 minutes to reach Tottenham Hale
Tottenham Hale
Tottenham Hale is a district in the London Borough of Haringey. From 1850-1965, it was part of the Municipal Borough of Tottenham, in Middlesex.-Etymology:...
and 40 minutes to reach London Liverpool Street and allow Bishop's Stortford to be part of the London Commuter Belt
London commuter belt
The London commuter belt is the metropolitan area surrounding London, England from which it is practical to commute to work in the capital. It is alternatively known as the Greater South East, the London metropolitan area or the Southeast metropolitan area...
. Epping tube station
Epping tube station
Epping on the London Underground is the north-eastern terminus of the Central Line. The station before Epping is Theydon Bois, which is about three minutes travelling time away. Epping station is in the Epping Forest District of Essex...
is about 12 miles away from Bishop's Stortford which means some residents use the London Underground station rather than the main line station at Bishop's Stortford.
Bishop's Stortford is close to junction 8 of the M11 motorway
M11 motorway
The M11 motorway in England is a major road running approximately north from the North Circular Road in South Woodford in north-east London to the A14, north-west of Cambridge.-Route:...
, which runs from London and the M25
M25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
north to Cambridge, and the town is a frequent stop-off point for travellers using the nearby Stansted airport. To the north of the town is the A120
A120 road
The A120 is an important trunk road in southern England. It follows the course of Stane Street, a Roman road from Standon, Hertfordshire at its western terminus to Colchester...
, which meets the A10 at Buntingford
Buntingford
Buntingford is a small market town and civil parish in the district of East Hertfordshire and county of Hertfordshire in England. It lies on the River Rib and on the Roman road Ermine Street. As a result of its location, it grew mainly as a staging post with many coaching inns and has an 18th...
to the west and the A12 at Colchester
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
to the east.
Stansted Airport is on the town's doorstep, with easy transport via rail or bus between there and the town. This airport is mainly used for flights to Europe and is the third largest airport serving London.
The town has many bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
routes, including the 308 main bus route for travel within Bishop's Stortford and to Stansted Airport. Other, longer routes like the 510 (Stansted Airport - Harlow
Harlow
Harlow is a new town and local government district in Essex, England. It is located in the west of the county and on the border with Hertfordshire, on the Stort Valley, The town is near the M11 motorway and forms part of the London commuter belt.The district has a current population of 78,889...
) link Bishop's Stortford with other nearby towns, and several services exist to connect the plethora of nearby villages to the town.
There used to be a park and ride system to the town centre, but this has now ceased to operate due to the lack of support.
Notable people
Arts & Media
- James FrainJames FrainJames Dominic Frain is an English stage and screen actor. He is possibly best known for his role in the Showtime series The Tudors in which he appeared as Thomas Cromwell from 2007 to 2009, and for his role as vampire Franklin Mott in season three of the HBO drama True Blood, as well as his role...
, actor (born 1968). Attended St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Bishop's Stortford. Best known for his portrayal of Thomas Cromwell in the Showtime series The TudorsThe TudorsThe Tudors is a Canadian produced historical fiction television series filmed in Ireland, created by Michael Hirst and produced for the American premium cable television channel Showtime...
. - Matt GrantThe Bachelor: London CallingThe Bachelor: London Calling is the twelfth season of ABC reality television series The Bachelor. The season premiere aired on March 17, 2008. The show features the first bachelor from outside North America, Matt Grant, courting 25 women.-Contestants:...
ABC TV The Bachelor USA Reality TV Star - Greg JamesGreg James (DJ)Greg James is a British radio DJ at BBC Radio 1.Having previously had experience at BBC Radio Norfolk and Galaxy North East, James started presenting the Early Breakfast show in October 2007, replacing the previous incumbents of the slot, JK and Joel...
, DJ on BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
(born 1985). - Jon ThorneJon ThorneJon Thorne is an English double bassist.Born in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire he lived in Zimbabwe from the age of 6 to 11 and is now based in Whalley Range, Manchester. He is self taught and started playing in his early twenties...
- Musician - John MannJohn MannJohn Mann may refer to:* John Mann , British actor* John Mann * John Mann , farmer and author from New Brunswick, Canada* John Mann , English cricketer...
- Comedian. Lives in the town and writes a popular column in The Herts and Essex Observer - Linda Barron (tv Actress) - best known as Nurse Gladys Emanuel in Open all hours with Ronnie Barker - lived for some time in the town.
- Kenneth Williams (Actor) - best known as a regular in the carry on films was a regular visitor to the area around the town.
- Rita Tushingham (actress) lived for a while in a small village, close to the town during her marriage to Terry Bicknell
Religion
- Francis DaneFrancis DaneFrancis Dane was baptized in Bishop's Stortford, England, and was probably born there.-Education and early career:...
- Born in Bishop's Stortford in 1615. Fought against persecution of "witches" during Salem Witch TrialsSalem witch trialsThe Salem witch trials were a series of hearings before county court trials to prosecute people accused of witchcraft in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Middlesex in colonial Massachusetts, between February 1692 and May 1693...
. Was Pastor of North Parish in Andover, MassachusettsAndover, MassachusettsAndover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was incorporated in 1646 and as of the 2010 census, the population was 33,201...
Science
- Frederick Scott ArcherFrederick Scott ArcherFrederick Scott Archer invented the photographic collodion process which preceded the modern gelatin emulsion. He was born in Bishop's Stortford in the UK and is remembered mainly for this single achievement which greatly increased the accessibility of photography for the general public.tyler was...
- inventor of the collodion processCollodion processThe collodion process is an early photographic process. It was introduced in the 1850s and by the end of that decade it had almost entirely replaced the first practical photographic process, the daguerreotype. During the 1880s the collodion process, in turn, was largely replaced by gelatin dry...
, the first photographicPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
emulsion used to create glass negatives.
Politics
- Martin CatonMartin CatonMartin Philip Caton is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Gower since 1997.Caton was born in Bishop's Stortford and educated at the Newport Free Grammar School near Saffron Walden, the Norfolk School of Agriculture, and the Aberystwyth College of Further...
- MPMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for GowerGower (UK Parliament constituency)Gower is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament , using the first-past-the-post voting system....
was born in Bishop's Stortford. - Sir Walter Gilbey, 1st Baronet - British Businessman. Wine merchant and philanthropistPhilanthropistA philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
. - Cecil Rhodes, the son of the vicar of St. Michael's Church in the town. Rhodes was born in 1853 and was the effective founder of the state of RhodesiaRhodesiaRhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
(now ZambiaZambiaZambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
and ZimbabweZimbabweZimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
), De BeersDe BeersDe Beers is a family of companies that dominate the diamond, diamond mining, diamond trading and industrial diamond manufacturing sectors. De Beers is active in every category of industrial diamond mining: open-pit, underground, large-scale alluvial, coastal and deep sea...
diamond company and the Rhodes ScholarshipRhodes ScholarshipThe Rhodes Scholarship, named after Cecil Rhodes, is an international postgraduate award for study at the University of Oxford. It was the first large-scale programme of international scholarships, and is widely considered the "world's most prestigious scholarship" by many public sources such as...
. - Caroline SpelmanCaroline SpelmanCaroline Alice Spelman is a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom who has served as the Member of Parliament for Meriden in the West Midlands since 1997...
- Conservative MP and Cabinet Minister
Sport
- Dean AshtonDean AshtonDean Ashton is a former English professional footballer. He made over 240 appearances as a forward in the Football League and Premier League for Crewe Alexandra, Norwich City and , and was also capped by England. He was highly praised as a talented centre forward, but had a career frustrated by...
- Footballer formerly of West Ham UnitedWest Ham United F.C.West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
. - Dean BowditchDean BowditchDean Peter Bowditch is an English footballer who is currently playing for Milton Keynes Dons after having rejected a new contract with Yeovil Town...
- Footballer, formerly of Ipswich Town F.C.Ipswich Town F.C.Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
and now of Yeovil Town F.C.Yeovil Town F.C.Yeovil Town F.C. are an English association football team based in Yeovil, Somerset. The club play in League One after having won the League Two championship in 2004–05...
, used to attend school in Bishop's Stortford - Ben ClarkeBen ClarkeBen Clarke , is a former England international rugby union player.Clarke played for Bath Rugby from 1992 to 1996, before joining Richmond F.C. as the first £1-million player...
Ex-England Rugby Union international and British LionsBritish and Irish LionsThe British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
representative. - Ernie CookseyErnie CookseyErnest George Cooksey was an English footballer, who was described as a utility player. He could play as a left-sided defender and midfielder as well as in a central-midfield role. He started as a trainee with Colchester United, before joining non-League clubs Heybridge Swifts, Bishop's Stortford,...
British footballer for Grays AthleticGrays Athletic F.C.Grays Athletic Football Club is an English football club currently based in Corringham, Essex after leaving the New Recreation Ground in Grays at the end of the 2009–10 season... - Austin HealeyAustin HealeyAustin Sean Healey is a former English rugby union player, who played as a utility back for Leicester Tigers, and has represented the England national rugby union team and the British Lions....
Rugby Union player formerly of Leicester TigersLeicester TigersLeicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
and briefly of Bishop's Stortford Rugby Club. - John RadfordJohn RadfordFor the Canadian broadcaster see John Radford John Radford is a former English football player....
Ex Arsenal FC player (third highest goal scorer ever) and, most recently, ex Bishops Stortford FC manager - Edward ShawEdward Shaw (cricketer, born 1892)Edward Alfred Shaw was an English cricketer and British Army officer. A bespectacled man, Shaw was a right-handed batsman who fielded as a wicket-keeper...
(1892-1916), cricketer and British Army officer - David SurridgeDavid SurridgeDavid Surridge is a former English cricketer. Surridge was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm fast-medium. He was born in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire....
(born 1956), cricketer - Pat Campbell-Jenner Downhill and 4X Mountain biker. Is currently ranked 31st in the world(28/10/11).
Twin towns
Bishop's Stortford is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with the following towns: Villiers-sur-Marne
Villiers-sur-Marne
Villiers-sur-Marne is a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.The commune of Villiers-sur-Marne is part of the sector of Porte de Paris, one of the four sectors of the "new town" of Marne-la-Vallée....
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Friedberg
Friedberg, Hesse
Friedberg is a town and the capital of the Wetteraukreis district, in Hesse, Germany. It is located 26 kilometers north of Frankfurt am Main.-Division of the town:The town consists of 7 districts:* Bruchenbrücken...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Education
Hertfordshire County CouncilHertfordshire County Council
Hertfordshire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Hertfordshire, in England, the United Kingdom. It currently consists of 77 councillors, and is controlled by the Conservative Party, which has 55 councillors, 17 Liberal Democrats, versus 3 Labour...
is responsible for education. Bishop's Stortford follows the English schools model of primary school, secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
, and further education
Further education
Further education is a term mainly used in connection with education in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is post-compulsory education , that is distinct from the education offered in universities...
college. There are 13 primary and 5 secondary schools (two of which are single sex). The town does not have any further education colleges for post-16 education, as all schools in Hertfordshire have sixth forms.
There is also an independent school, the Bishop's Stortford College
Bishop's Stortford College
Bishop's Stortford College is a co-educational independent school for day and boarding pupils from the ages of four to eighteen, with a campus located on the edge of Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, England...
, which covers the whole educational spectrum from ages 4 to 18.
Many of the secondary schools in the Bishop's Stortford area have gained special college status, variously for technology, sciences, languages, music or performing arts. Secondary schools include St Mary's Roman Catholic School, Birchwood High School, Hockerill Anglo-European College
Hockerill Anglo-European College
Hockerill Anglo-European College is an international boarding school located in Bishop's Stortford. It was formally known as Hockerill Boarding School when it was state-funded....
, The Bishop's Stortford High School
The Bishop's Stortford High School
The Bishop’s Stortford High School is a six-form comprehensive secondary school, with a coeducational sixth form, in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, England. The school admits boys aged 11 to 16 in the first five forms, with a mixed sixth form of boys and girls aged 16 to 18...
(commonly referred to as the 'Boys High')http://www.tbshs.herts.sch.uk and The Hertfordshire and Essex High School
The Hertfordshire and Essex High School
The Hertfordshire and Essex High School and since 2004 named as The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science College, commonly referred as Herts and Essex is a secondary level comprehensive single-sex school and a mixed-sex sixth form on Warwick Road in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, England...
. The latter two schools are single-sex schools, for boys and girls respectively, although both have mixed-sex sixth-forms.
In July 2008, Herts and Essex High School and Bishop's Stortford High School submitted a planning application to merge to a single site funded by the building of new residential estates on their existing land. This met with vigorous opposition, most notably from the Bishop's Stortford Civic Federation. Over 930 letters of objection were received and eventually the plan collapsed in September 2009 just prior to the planning hearing when the schools withdrew their application.
Education Charity Inclusion Trust is based in Bishop's Stortford.
Sports
Bishop's Stortford has many sports facilities, including the Grange Paddocks Swimming Pool & GymGym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
, and various leagues are based in the town. Sporting facilities consist of the Bishop's Stortford Rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
Club, the hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
club, the tennis club, the squash club, the swimming club and the Bishop's Stortford Golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
Club. In the town centre there is also a Cannons Health Club (now Nuffield Health Fitness & Wellbeing), this is situated by the cinema.
Bishop's Stortford Cricket Club play their home matches at Cricket Field Lane
Cricket Field Lane
Cricket Field Lane is a cricket ground in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire. The earliest recorded match on the ground was in 1862 between Bishop's Stortford and an All-England Eleven. In 1895 Hertfordshire played their first Minor Counties Championship match on the ground, which came against...
, which is also a home venue for Hertfordshire County Cricket Club
Hertfordshire County Cricket Club
Hertfordshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Hertfordshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
. Hockerill Cricket Club play at their ground on Beldams Lane which they share with Bishop's Stortford Running Club (BSRC) supports road running
Road running
Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road . These events would be classified as long distance according to athletics terminology, with distances typically ranging from 5 kilometers to 42.2 kilometers in the marathon. They may involve large numbers of runners...
and cross-country running, organising four training sessions a week (two coached), and also has an active multi-sports section for those interested in triathlon
Triathlon
A triathlon is a multi-sport event involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance events. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances...
, duathlon
Duathlon
Duathlon is an athletic event that consists of a running leg, followed by a cycling leg and then another running leg in a format bearing some resemblance to triathlons. The International Triathlon Union governs the sport internationally....
and adventure racing.
Bishop's Stortford Hockey Club (BSHC) share the Cricket Field Lane
Cricket Field Lane
Cricket Field Lane is a cricket ground in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire. The earliest recorded match on the ground was in 1862 between Bishop's Stortford and an All-England Eleven. In 1895 Hertfordshire played their first Minor Counties Championship match on the ground, which came against...
clubhouse with Bishop's Stortford Cricket Club, and boasts a full 10 senior sides - 6 mens and 4 ladies - along with a thriving junior section. The Club has a number of former international players still involved with coaching or playing including Rob Clift (Great British Gold Medalist), in addition to a number of senior members who still represent their country at Masters level.
Bishop's Stortford also boasts two association football clubs - Bishop's Stortford F.C.
Bishop's Stortford F.C.
Bishop's Stortford F.C. is an English football club based in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire. The club are currently members of the Conference North and play at Woodside Park.-History:The club was established in 1874...
, who play in the Conference North
Conference North
The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of...
, and Bishop's Stortford Swifts, who play in the Essex Olympian Football League
Essex Olympian Football League
The ProKit Essex Olympian Football League is a football competition based in England, founded in the 1966-67 season. It has a total of four senior divisions and three reserve divisions. The Premier Division sits at step 7 of the National League System and it is a feeder to the Essex Senior...
.
In nearby Thorley
Thorley, Hertfordshire
Thorley is a civil parish in Hertfordshire, England, encompassing the hamlets Thorley Street, Thorley Wash and Old Thorley; near Bishop's Stortford in Hertfordshire. It is mentioned in the Domesday book as Torlei, belonging to Geoffrey de Mandeville, a notable Norman Baron...
, there is also a cricket club: Thorley CC, and at Birchwood High School on Parsonage Lane, Shotokan Karate Classes are run every Saturday at 9.30am by the KSTSK Association
Youth organisations
The town is home to various youth organisations and youth groups, including an Army Cadet ForceArmy Cadet Force
The Army Cadet Force is a British youth organisation that offers progressive training in a multitude of the subjects from military training to adventurous training and first aid, at the same time as promoting achievement, discipline, and good citizenship, to boys and girls aged 12 to 18 and 9...
detachment and an Air Training Corps
Air Training Corps
The Air Training Corps , commonly known as the Air Cadets, is a cadet organisation based in the United Kingdom. It is a voluntary youth group which is part of the Air Cadet Organisation and the Royal Air Force . It is supported by the Ministry of Defence, with a regular RAF Officer, currently Air...
Squadron. The ACF detachment is located at the Northgate Activities Centre and parades on Monday nights from 17:15 to 21:30. The Air Cadet unit, 1096 (Bishop's Stortford) Squadron is based in Waytemore Road (CM23 3GR) and parades on Monday and Thursday evenings and caters for cadets aged between 13-18.
GAP Youth Group is affiliated with St James the Great Church in Thorley and is for teenagers from school year 8. The group offers fun, friendship and discussion on challenging everyday issues. This group meets every Sunday between 7:30pm and 9pm at the Barnabus centre, Church Lane, Thorley.
Live music
The Rhodes Arts ComplexRhodes Arts Complex
The Rhodes Arts Complex is a contemporary venue for arts, culture and conferences in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire. The complex was refurbished in 2005 and has a 300-seat theatre, a multi-purpose studio space, a museum and large exhibition gallery....
benefited from a lottery
National Lottery (United Kingdom)
The National Lottery is the state-franchised national lottery in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man.It is operated by Camelot Group, to whom the licence was granted in 1994, 2001 and again in 2007. The lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission, and was established by the then...
grant in 2006 and is now the town's biggest venue for live music
Live Music
Live Music is a reggaeton company owned by DJ Giann.-Artists:* Jowell & Randy* Tony Lenta* Watussi* De La Ghetto* Guelo Star* Galante "El Emperador"-Producers:*DJ Blass*Dexter*Mr. Greenz*DJ Giann*Los Hitmen*Dirty Joe*ALX...
and theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
, hosting the town's most popular rock and indie night "Rhodes Rocks!" every month, as well as appearances from many international artists including Midge Ure, The Beat, Ade Edmondson and many others.
Another live music venue in Bishop's Stortford, supporting rock, blues and folk bands is The Half Moon at the top end of North Street. It is a traditional and somewhat untouched pub that has a small back-room with stage. The Half Moon is also home to The Acoustic Club every Thursday, a monthly blues club and Club Blub, a monthly live showcase for both established acts and new bands.
Among the notable appearances at Club Blub have been Billy Lunn of UK indie act The Subways
The Subways
The Subways are an English alternative rock / indie rock band. Their debut album, Young For Eternity, was released on 4 July 2005 in the UK and February 14, 2006 in the U.S. Their second album, All or Nothing, was released on 30 June 2008 and their third album Money and Celebrity debuted on the...
, Turin Brakes
Turin Brakes
Turin Brakes are a modern folk duo, comprising Olly Knights and Gale Paridjanian, hailing from Balham, London. They had a UK top 5 hit with their song "Painkiller ".-1999–2003:...
, The Rifles
The Rifles
The Rifles is the largest regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, plus a number of companies in other TA battalions, Each battalion of the Rifles was formerly an individual battalion of one of the two large regiments of the Light...
, Ed Drewett
Ed Drewett
Ed Drewett is a singer-songwriter signed to EMI Virgin Records. Drewett first came to public attention in 2007 on the BBC television show Any Dream Will Do but he did not make the final 12 chosen for the live shows. He is best-known, however, for the single "I Need You Tonight" produced by The...
and Morning Parade
Morning Parade
Morning Parade are a five piece band from Harlow, Essex. It comprises Steve Sparrow, lead vocals and guitar, Phill Titus, bass, Chad Thomas, guitar, Ben Giddings, piano/synths and Andrew Hayes, drums. They make rock tracks with a distinct 90s dance anthem influence.-Formation:The band have been...
.
Bishops's Stortford is where the youth choir Cantate is based. The choir holds concerts in the surrounding area, including many in the town itself.
Stortford Film Festival
The Stortford Film Festival started in 2010 with a one day showcase of short films. The 2nd Stortford Film Festival, which takes place between 21st and 26th May 2011 at Rhodes Arts Complex, features over sixty feature films, shorts, animations, documentaries and music videos from over twenty countries. The 2nd Stortford Film Festival jury features screenwriter and author Hanif KureishiHanif Kureishi
Hanif Kureishi CBE is an English playwright, screenwriter and filmmaker, novelist and short story writer. The themes of his work have touched on topics of race, nationalism, immigration, and sexuality...
and award winning filmmaker Eran Creevy
Eran Creevy
Eran Creevy is a British director most famous for his film Shifty and several music videos.-Biography:After assisting Woody Allen and Matthew Vaughn on feature films such as Layer Cake and Scoop, he began directing music videos for artists such as Asher D and Sway. It wasn't long before he...
.
Pubs
Being a market town and major coach stop between London and Cambridge, Bishop's Stortford has many large public houses within the town centre, one of which is the Star Inn on Bridge Street, which serves hand-pulled ales and hot and cold food.The first mention of the Star was in 1636 when it was held by one John Ward, and though the brick exterior gives it the appearance of being a much later building, they cover a timber-frame structure the foundations of which were likely to have been laid in the 16th century. Former town brewers Hawkes & Co bought the Star in 1808.
An entrance at the corner of the building that once opened onto Water Lane was bricked-up in the early 20th century, perhaps to protect departing patrons from potential accidents due to increased traffic. The side of the building is half covered in traditional weatherboard, while at the rear can be found the inn’s old water pump and former stables. The stable yard later became a car park but is now a small pub garden. And in the early 20th century the Star advertised accommodation for cyclists, making it particularly popular with people from local villages who would stop overnight to ensure an early start to Thursday’s market.
Former celebrated local artist, John Kynnersley Kirby, a painter of many local scenes and characters in the early 20th century, once used the interior of the Star for a painting entitled ‘The Slate Club Secretary’. In it he portrayed a freelance journalist named Jimmy Sell set against the pub’s smoke-laden Victorian wallpaper.
Other
Located in the town centre is Anchor Street Entertainment, a multiplex which hosts an Empire cinemaMovie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
and a Nuffield House Health Club. There have been many changes at the Anchor Street Leisure Complex resulting in many of the units now lying empty. Kentucky Fried Chicken was the first business to shut down. The Chicago Rock Café went into administration causing its closure at the end of February 2010. Newbury Leisure Ltd., the operator of the Lakeside Bowling Alley, decided to close its Bishops Stortford site in November 2010 to save the other 9 sites they have in the UK. The McDonalds closed at this site on the 11th December 2010. The reporter at Herts and Essex Observer, Burton (2010) stated that ‘this has led to concerns that Bishops Stortford may become a town of ‘two halves’, this was the view of civic federation chairman Richard Hannah, who feared for the entire South Street area’s future after the Lakeside Superbowl in nearby Anchor Street closed.
The businesses left at the Anchor Street Leisure Complex are the Empire Cinema and the Nuffield Health Fitness and Wellbeing Centre. A new nightclub was bidding (November 2010) to open in the former Chicago Rock Cafe premises as well as a new seafood eatery, called Fishy Biz in the former KFC branch, which opened in November 2010.
The Lemon Tree restaurant in Water Lane is listed in both The Good Food Guide and the Michelin Guide
Michelin Guide
The Michelin Guide is a series of annual guide books published by Michelin for over a dozen countries. The term normally refers to the Michelin Red Guide, the oldest and best-known European hotel and restaurant guide, which awards the Michelin stars...
. In late 2006, town centre restaurant, Host, opened a private members' bar above its restaurant in the Corn Exchange
Corn exchange
A corn exchange or grain exchange was a building where farmers and merchants traded cereal grains. Such trade was common in towns and cities across Great Britain and Ireland until the 19th century, but as the trade became centralised in the 20th century many such buildings were used for other...
building.
Nightlife spots in Bishop's Stortford include Scorch Nightclub, The Fountain and many other late opening wine bars. There is also The Terrace wine bar
Wine bar
A wine bar is a tavern-like business focusing on selling wine, rather than liquor or beer. A typical feature of many wine bars is a wide selection of wines available by the glass. Some wine bars are profiled on wines of a certain type of origin, such as Italian wine or Champagne...
open during the summer months with food and live music.
There is also a concrete skateboard park and metal halfpipe located in the town park opposite Waitrose. It is easily reachable from Bishop's Stortford railway station.
The Water Lane Theatre Group, an amateur drama group, has been based in the town since 1951.
Bishop's Stortford Musical Theatre Company, an amateur musical theatre group, has been based in the town since 1963 performing every year.
Cromarty Vets was founded in Bishop’s Stortford in 2007. The group has a Christian ethos and is particularly geared at the 35 plus age group. The aim of the group is to support, mentor and encourage men in tackling the pressures of being a father, husband, lone parent or any other aspect of family and working life. This is achieved through fellowship and friendship via a number of veteran team sports and social events. There are regular football matches played at the Hockerill Anglo-European School’s all weather pitches on Mondays at 7.45pm pitch side ready for an 8pm kick-off. Afterwards there is the opportunity to enjoy a drink and chat at the Red Cow Public House.
Street Pastors
Street pastors
Street Pastors is an interdenominational network of Christian charities operating across the UK and world wide.Street Pastors is an initiative of Ascension Trust...
in Bishops Stortford began in September 2008 with an original team of 16 volunteers; this has now grown to 20. The team of volunteers has regularly been out in Bishop's Stortford on alternate Friday and Saturday nights between 10pm and 3am. This is a nationwide scheme, run by Ascension Trust, that Bishop's Stortford has become affiliated to, providing practical support in the form of water and flipflops, and an opportunity for people to talk. It is supported by the members of the local churches in Bishops Stortford, the local council, and the Hertfordshire police force.
Geography
Being in South East England
South East England
South East England is one of the nine official regions of England, designated in 1994 and adopted for statistical purposes in 1999. It consists of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex...
, the town enjoys a warmer climate than most of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and has some of the hottest summers in Britain; it is also one of the driest places in the country. Temperatures may sometimes reach the mid-30s Celsius in the summer. Snow
Snow
Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...
is often seen in the winter months because the town is near to the east coast, where cold, moist air is brought in from the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
and cold fronts from northern Europe. In recent years there has been up to three inches of snow early in the year which has resulted in minor disruption to transport and caused some schools to close for several days. However, the snow tends not to persist in any noticeable quantity.
Water for the town is supplied by Three Valleys Water
Three Valleys Water
Veolia Water Central is a privately owned company supplying water to Hertfordshire and parts of Surrey, North London and Bedfordshire, in England....
. The water is classed as very hard with over 345 mg/l of
minerals and 0.225 mg/l of fluoride.
Climate
Bishops Stortford, along with the rest of the United Kingdom, has a temperature maritime climate, with cool summers and mild winters. The nearest weather station for which averages and extremes are available is Stansted airport, about 2.5 miles due east of Bishops Stortfords town centre. Located at over 100m, the weather station, and parts of Bishops Stortford in general are marginally cooler throughout the year than the Cambridgeshire area to the North or the London area to the south, nonetheless, Bishops Stortford is still warmer than the English average.The highest temperature recorded at Stansted was 35.0c(95.0f) during the August 2003 heatwave. In an average year the hottest day should reach 28.8c(83.8f), and 12.3 days will record a temperature of 25.1c (77.2f) or more.
The lowest temperature recorded at Stansted was -14.7c(5.5f) during December 1981. The lowest in recent years. Notably cold minimum temperatures tend not to occur due to the lack of higher terrain meaning little cold air drainage occurs. The average annual coldest night should fall to -7.6c(18.3f), with 47.3 air frosts being recorded in an 'average' year.
Typically, the Bishops Stortford area will receive an average of 622mm of rain during the course of the year
1mm or more of rain will be recorded on 114.7 days of the year.
Temperature averages refer to the period 1971-00, rainfall averages 1961-90.
Location grid
External links
- Stortford Film Festival
- Bishop's Stortford Town Council
- Bishop's Stortford Civic Federation, representing all the residents' associations in Bishop's Stortford
- Comprehensive History of Bishop's Stortford
- Bishops Stortford (A Guide to Old Hertfordshire)
- Shootings 2007
- History
- Stop Stansted Expansion
- www.geograph.co.uk : Photos of Bishops Stortford and surrounding area
- Bus Services
- Holy Trinity Church Bishop's Stortford
- St Michael's Church Bishop's Stortford
- All Saint's Church Hockerill, Bishop's Stortford
- Hockerill Anglo-European College
- Bishop's Stortford Hockey Club
- Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Army Cadet Force
- Herts and Essex Observer
- Bishop's Stortford Ultra Light Railway
- Bishop's Stortford Town Twinning Association