Westwick Row
Encyclopedia
Westwick Row is a place in Hertfordshire
, in England
. It is situated on the edge of Hemel Hempstead
.
Westwick Row today is a narrow rural
lane in the village of Leverstock Green
, part of it is within the jurisdiction of St Albans
Rural District Council, and part with Dacorum
Borough Council. It was originally within the parish of St Michael's, St Albans. It runs into the main St Albans Road at its most easterly end, at Corner Farm, and into Green Lane at its most westerly end, being connected to the main road also by Pancake Lane.
It was once the central lane of the medieval vill
and Manor of Westwick, and indications are that it was not only the main thoroughfare in medieval times, but was also the main thoroughfare of the Anglo Saxon village and manor
of the same name, and indeed was in all probability an Iron Age
trackway. The line of the original Iron Age trackway continues at the westerly end via Buncefield Lane.
Several listed buildings are to be found along Westwick Row, namely: Dell Cottage (early to mid 17th century); Westwick Cottage (Grade II* late 12th century/early 13th century with later additions); King Charles II Cottage (17th century); Westwick Row Farmhouse (15th century); Westwick Row Farm Barns (18th century); Corner Farm House (16th century); and Corner Farm outbuildings (18th century). Westwick Farm, known to have dated back to the Tudor era was in a poor state of repair and was demolished in the mid 19th century by the Earl of Verulam
when the farm was added to the portfolio of his estate of Gorhambury. It was replaced with the present farmhouse.
From at least the early 19th century to the early 20th century several farm labourers' cottages were also to be found along Westwick Row. These were gradually demolished in the 20th century when new housing was built in Curtis Road. Several good sized properties were further built at the western end of the Row in the early to mid 20th century, and a small estate of executive houses were built on the site of Handpost Lodge.
Evidence points to a Great Tithe Barn
, belonging to the Monastery at St Albans, which once stood along Westwick Row near to the present day Westwick Warren. This was demolished in the mid 17th century.
Evidence of a Romano-British
Villa
at Handpost Lodge, Westwick Row was discovered in 1998. Other archaeological finds date to the Late Neolithic, Bronze
& Iron Age
s and includes a Bronze Age hoard discovered by Sir John Evans
in the mid 19th century. This consisted of a looped socketed bronze axe, fragments of another axe and five lumps of copper. With the exception of one lump of metal that John Evans donated to the British Museum
, the rest of the find is at the Ashmolean Museum
in Oxford
.
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 on the edge of Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead is a town in Hertfordshire in the East of England, to the north west of London and part of the Greater London Urban Area. The population at the 2001 Census was 81,143 ....
.
Westwick Row today is a narrow rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
lane in the village of Leverstock Green
Leverstock Green
Leverstock Green is a suburb in Hemel Hempstead, in the English county of Hertfordshire. It is located on the eastern edge of the town.Leverstock Green contains a village school , village cricket club, village football club , village hall, village shops, village pubs and Holy Trinity church...
, part of it is within the jurisdiction of St Albans
St Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
Rural District Council, and part with Dacorum
Dacorum
The Borough of Dacorum is a local government district in Hertfordshire, England that includes the towns of Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Tring and Kings Langley. The district, which was formed in 1974, had a population of 137,799 in 2001...
Borough Council. It was originally within the parish of St Michael's, St Albans. It runs into the main St Albans Road at its most easterly end, at Corner Farm, and into Green Lane at its most westerly end, being connected to the main road also by Pancake Lane.
It was once the central lane of the medieval vill
Vill
Vill is a term used in English history to describe a land unit which might otherwise be described as a parish, manor or tithing.The term is used in the period immediately after the Norman conquest and into the late medieval. Land units in Domesday are frequently referred to as vills, although the...
and Manor of Westwick, and indications are that it was not only the main thoroughfare in medieval times, but was also the main thoroughfare of the Anglo Saxon village and manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
of the same name, and indeed was in all probability an Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
trackway. The line of the original Iron Age trackway continues at the westerly end via Buncefield Lane.
Several listed buildings are to be found along Westwick Row, namely: Dell Cottage (early to mid 17th century); Westwick Cottage (Grade II* late 12th century/early 13th century with later additions); King Charles II Cottage (17th century); Westwick Row Farmhouse (15th century); Westwick Row Farm Barns (18th century); Corner Farm House (16th century); and Corner Farm outbuildings (18th century). Westwick Farm, known to have dated back to the Tudor era was in a poor state of repair and was demolished in the mid 19th century by the Earl of Verulam
Earl of Verulam
Earl of Verulam is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1815 for James Grimston, 4th Viscount Grimston. He was made Viscount Grimston at the same time. Verulam had previously represented St Albans in the House of Commons. In 1808 he had also succeeded his maternal cousin...
when the farm was added to the portfolio of his estate of Gorhambury. It was replaced with the present farmhouse.
From at least the early 19th century to the early 20th century several farm labourers' cottages were also to be found along Westwick Row. These were gradually demolished in the 20th century when new housing was built in Curtis Road. Several good sized properties were further built at the western end of the Row in the early to mid 20th century, and a small estate of executive houses were built on the site of Handpost Lodge.
Evidence points to a Great Tithe Barn
Tithe barn
A tithe barn was a type of barn used in much of northern Europe in the Middle Ages for storing the tithes - a tenth of the farm's produce which had to be given to the church....
, belonging to the Monastery at St Albans, which once stood along Westwick Row near to the present day Westwick Warren. This was demolished in the mid 17th century.
Evidence of a Romano-British
Romano-British
Romano-British culture describes the culture that arose in Britain under the Roman Empire following the Roman conquest of AD 43 and the creation of the province of Britannia. It arose as a fusion of the imported Roman culture with that of the indigenous Britons, a people of Celtic language and...
Villa
Roman villa
A Roman villa is a villa that was built or lived in during the Roman republic and the Roman Empire. A villa was originally a Roman country house built for the upper class...
at Handpost Lodge, Westwick Row was discovered in 1998. Other archaeological finds date to the Late Neolithic, Bronze
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
& Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
s and includes a Bronze Age hoard discovered by Sir John Evans
John Evans (archaeologist)
Sir John Evans, KCB, FRS was an English archaeologist and geologist.-Biography:John Evans was the son of the Rev. Dr A. B. Evans, headmaster of Market Bosworth Grammar School, and was born at Britwell Court, Buckinghamshire...
in the mid 19th century. This consisted of a looped socketed bronze axe, fragments of another axe and five lumps of copper. With the exception of one lump of metal that John Evans donated to the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
, the rest of the find is at the Ashmolean Museum
Ashmolean Museum
The Ashmolean Museum on Beaumont Street, Oxford, England, is the world's first university museum...
in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
.