Hertingfordbury
Encyclopedia
Hertingfordbury is a small village and civil parish
in Hertfordshire
, England, close to the county town
of Hertford
. It was mentioned in the Domesday Book
.
along that road has yet to reach the village, which retains a rural character. The village straddles the River Mimram
, on which was built a water mill in the 18th Century, and lies just north of the River Lea. The northern boundary of the village is Panshanger Park, with its Great Oak, considered by some to be the oldest oak in England.
of 1086 as Herefordingberie, meaning "Stronghold of the people of Hertford".
"Ralph himself holds Herefordingberie. It is assessed at 5 hides. There is land for 10 ploughs. In demesne are 3 hides and 1 virgate, and there are 2 ploughs, and there can be a third. There 5 villans with 1 Frenchman and 6 bordars have 5 ploughs, and there can be 2 more. There are 11 cottars and 4 slaves, and 2 mills rendering 6s, meadow for 3 ploughs, pasture for the livestock of the vill and woodland for 200 pigs. From woodland pasture, 7s. In all it is worth £8; when received, £6; TRE £10. Alwine, a thegn of Earl Harold, held this manor and could sell.
work, including the pulpit, and oak carvings by a native of Oberammergau
. The churchyard contains the unmarked grave of Jane Wenham
, erroneously believed to be the last person to be sentenced to death for witchcraft in England. She was condemned by a Hertford court in 1712 but was given a reprieve from the death sentence and later granted a Royal pardon by Queen Anne. Originally from Walkern
her cause was adopted by William Cowper, 1st Earl Cowper
, and she lived out her days in a cottage on his land in Hertingfordbury. Also buried in the churchyard are members of the Cowper family, and Benjamin Truman
, owner of the Truman Brewery
in the 18th Century. An American heiress, Pauline Payne Whitney
, who had married Lord Queenborough, is buried there as is their daughter, Dorothy Paget
,a racehorse owner, whose horses won the Cheltenham Gold Cup
seven times and the Champion Hurdle
four. Her funeral procession included a string of race horses, whose jockeys included Gordon Richards
.
brick house reputedly visited by Jane Austen
and “Amores“, which stands in a triangle in the centre of the village and is over 500 years old. Visitors to the area can stay in the White Horse Inn, which is a Georgian-fronted building that in the past was a staging post for the Reading to Cambridge coach. To the north-east of the church is the Old Rectory, formerly home of the Addis family, descendants of William Addis, inventor of the first mass-produced toothbrush
. There was an Addis brush factory in Hertford from 1920 to the 1990s.
A by-pass was constructed in 1974. Since then the village has changed in character and it now provides homes for those who commute daily to London rather than for farm workers. Shops, such as a baker's and a post office, have disappeared.
Hertingfordbury was formerly served by a station on the Hertford to Hatfield
line. Passenger services ceased in 1951 and the line eventually fell victim to the Beeching Axe
when goods traffic ceased in 1966. The station, which was the setting for scenes in the 1936 film When Knights Were Bold
, has now been converted into a residence. The disused railway line is now the Cole Green Way
, popular with walkers, riders and cyclists.
Cole Green Way
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in 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...
, England, close to the county town
County town
A county town is a county's administrative centre in the United Kingdom or Ireland. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county. The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its...
of 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...
. It was mentioned in 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...
.
Location
Hertingfordbury lies one mile west of Hertford on the A414 road. Ribbon developmentRibbon development
Ribbon development means building houses along the routes of communications radiating from a human settlement. Such development generated great concern in the United Kingdom during the 1920s and the 1930s, as well as in numerous other countries....
along that road has yet to reach the village, which retains a rural character. The village straddles the River Mimram
River Mimram
The Mimram Valley is named after the River Mimram, which rises from a spring to the north of Whitwell, in North Hertfordshire, England, and makes its confluence with the River Lea near Horn's Mill in Hertford. At Whitwell there are cress beds which have existed since Roman times and these are fed...
, on which was built a water mill in the 18th Century, and lies just north of the River Lea. The northern boundary of the village is Panshanger Park, with its Great Oak, considered by some to be the oldest oak in England.
Domesday Book
The village was mentioned in the Domesday BookDomesday 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...
of 1086 as Herefordingberie, meaning "Stronghold of the people of Hertford".
"Ralph himself holds Herefordingberie. It is assessed at 5 hides. There is land for 10 ploughs. In demesne are 3 hides and 1 virgate, and there are 2 ploughs, and there can be a third. There 5 villans with 1 Frenchman and 6 bordars have 5 ploughs, and there can be 2 more. There are 11 cottars and 4 slaves, and 2 mills rendering 6s, meadow for 3 ploughs, pasture for the livestock of the vill and woodland for 200 pigs. From woodland pasture, 7s. In all it is worth £8; when received, £6; TRE £10. Alwine, a thegn of Earl Harold, held this manor and could sell.
St. Mary's Church
St. Mary’s Church is situated on rising ground to the east of the village, overlooking the water meadows that lead down to the River Mimram. A church seems to have stood on this spot as early as the 13th century. Construction is mainly of local flints with stone dressing, and the roof is tiled. Extensive alterations and restorations were carried out in 1845 and 1890. Inside the church is some interesting alabasterAlabaster
Alabaster is a name applied to varieties of two distinct minerals, when used as a material: gypsum and calcite . The former is the alabaster of the present day; generally, the latter is the alabaster of the ancients...
work, including the pulpit, and oak carvings by a native of Oberammergau
Oberammergau
Oberammergau is a municipality in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in Bavaria, Germany. The town is famous for its production of a Passion Play, its woodcarvers, and the NATO School.-Passion Play:...
. The churchyard contains the unmarked grave of Jane Wenham
Jane Wenham
Jane Wenham was the subject of what is commonly but erroneously regarded as the last witch trial in England. The trial took place in 1712 and was reported widely in printed tracts of the period, notably F...
, erroneously believed to be the last person to be sentenced to death for witchcraft in England. She was condemned by a Hertford court in 1712 but was given a reprieve from the death sentence and later granted a Royal pardon by Queen Anne. Originally from Walkern
Walkern
Walkern is a village and civil parish in East Hertfordshire. It is located on the River Beane about two miles from Stevenage, and is noted as the home of Jane Wenham, who was in 1712 the last woman in England to be convicted of witchcraft...
her cause was adopted by William Cowper, 1st Earl Cowper
William Cowper, 1st Earl Cowper
William Cowper, 1st Earl Cowper PC KC FRS was an English politician who became the first Lord Chancellor of Great Britain. Cowper was the son of Sir William Cowper, 2nd Baronet, of Ratling Court, Kent, a Whig member of parliament of some mark in the two last Stuart reigns...
, and she lived out her days in a cottage on his land in Hertingfordbury. Also buried in the churchyard are members of the Cowper family, and Benjamin Truman
Benjamin Truman
Sir Benjamin Truman was a notable English entrepreneur and brewer during the 18th century. He is notable for the expansion of the Truman Brewery in the Spitalfields area of east London.-Biography:...
, owner of the Truman Brewery
Old Truman Brewery
The Old Truman Brewery is the former Black Eagle brewery complex located around Brick Lane in the Spitalfields area, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It was established by the brewers Truman's which subsequently became Truman, Hanbury and Buxton...
in the 18th Century. An American heiress, Pauline Payne Whitney
Pauline Payne Whitney
Pauline Payne Whitney , was an American heiress and a member of the prominent Whitney family.She was born in New York City, New York, the daughter of William C. Whitney and Flora Whitney...
, who had married Lord Queenborough, is buried there as is their daughter, Dorothy Paget
Dorothy Paget
Dorothy Wyndham Paget was a British racehorse owner.She was the daughter of Lord Queenborough and Pauline Payne Whitney of the United States Whitney family. She was a cousin of Jock Whitney, owner of the dual Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Easter Hero and latterly American Ambassador in London. She...
,a racehorse owner, whose horses won the Cheltenham Gold Cup
Cheltenham Gold Cup
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in the United Kingdom which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 3 miles and 2½ furlongs , and during its running there are twenty-two fences to be jumped...
seven times and the Champion Hurdle
Champion Hurdle
The Champion Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. As part of a sponsorship agreement with the online sportsbook StanJames.com, the race is now known as the Stan James Champion Hurdle...
four. Her funeral procession included a string of race horses, whose jockeys included Gordon Richards
Gordon Richards
Sir Gordon Richards was an English jockey, and is often considered the world's greatest ever jockey. He remains the only jockey to have been knighted....
.
The village
Both Hertingfordbury Park, former residence of the Cowper family, and St Joseph's In The Park, a private primary school, stand to the east of St. Mary's. Interesting houses in the village include “Epcombs”, a GeorgianGeorgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
brick house reputedly visited by Jane Austen
Jane Austen
Jane Austen was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among the landed gentry, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature, her realism and biting social commentary cementing her historical importance among scholars and critics.Austen lived...
and “Amores“, which stands in a triangle in the centre of the village and is over 500 years old. Visitors to the area can stay in the White Horse Inn, which is a Georgian-fronted building that in the past was a staging post for the Reading to Cambridge coach. To the north-east of the church is the Old Rectory, formerly home of the Addis family, descendants of William Addis, inventor of the first mass-produced toothbrush
Toothbrush
The toothbrush is an oral hygiene instrument used to clean the teeth and gums that consists of a head of tightly clustered bristles mounted on a handle, which facilitates the cleansing of hard-to-reach areas of the mouth. Toothpaste, which often contains fluoride, is commonly used in conjunction...
. There was an Addis brush factory in Hertford from 1920 to the 1990s.
Hertingfordbury was formerly served by a station on the Hertford to Hatfield
Hatfield, Hertfordshire
Hatfield is a town and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England in the borough of Welwyn Hatfield. It has a population of 29,616, and is of Saxon origin. Hatfield House, the home of the Marquess of Salisbury, is the nucleus of the old town...
line. Passenger services ceased in 1951 and the line eventually fell victim to the Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
when goods traffic ceased in 1966. The station, which was the setting for scenes in the 1936 film When Knights Were Bold
When Knights Were Bold (1936 film)
When Knights Were Bold is a 1936 British comedy film directed by Jack Raymond and starring Jack Buchanan, Fay Wray and Garry Marsh. Sir Guy de Vere inherits his father's estate while serving with the British army in India. He returns home to take up his new role, but is greeted with hostility by...
, has now been converted into a residence. The disused railway line is now the Cole Green Way
Cole Green Way
The Cole Green Way is a rail trail which runs east-west from the eastern edge of Welwyn Garden City to Hertford in Hertfordshire. Part of National Cycle Network Route 61, and the Lea Valley Walk, it runs for more than six miles along the former Hertford, Luton & Dunstable branch line from Welwyn...
, popular with walkers, riders and cyclists.
See also
British History Online: pages on HertingfordburyCole Green Way