Hertford

Coordinates: 51°47′42″N 0°04′41″W / 51.795°N 0.078°W / 51.795; -0.078

Hertford
Parliament Square, Hertford Town Centre
Hertford  Hertford shown within Hertfordshire
Population	24,180  (2001 Census)
OS grid reference	TL325125
- London	19.2 mi (30.9 km) S
District	East Hertfordshire
Shire county	Hertfordshire
Region	East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	HERTFORD
Postcode district	SG13, SG14
Dialling code	01992
Police	Hertfordshire
Fire	Hertfordshire
Ambulance	East of England
EU Parliament	East of England
UK Parliament	Hertford and Stortford
Website	www.hertford.gov.uk
List of places: UK • England • Hertfordshire

Hertford (pronounced /ˈhɑrtfərd/ or /ˈhɑrfərd/) is the county town of Hertfordshire, England, and is in the East Hertfordshire district of the county. In 2006 East Hertfordshire was ranked within the top 10 places to live in the UK following a survey commissioned by the Channel 4 TV station. Forming a civil parish, the 2001 census put the population of Hertford at about 24,180.^[1] Recent estimates are that it is now around 28,000. The name is Anglo Saxon and means the ford frequented by harts or stags. The town of Meryton in the Jane Austen novel Pride and Prejudice is thought to have been based on Hertford.^[2][3]

Governance

The Council of Hertford met in the year 673 at the instigation of Archbishop Theodore of Tarsus. The site of the synod is not known. ^[4] It was at this meeting that the Roman and Celtic churches came to an agreement on the date to celebrate Easter.

Since 1974, Hertford has been within the East Hertfordshire district of Hertfordshire.

Hertfordshire County Council's main base is at County Hall in Hertford. East Herts District Council's offices almost adjoin County Hall, and there is also a Hertford Town Council based at Hertford Castle (see "Landmarks", below).

Geography

Hertford is at the confluence of four river valleys: the Rib, Beane and Mimram join the River Lea at Hertford to flow south toward the Thames as the Lee Navigation, after Hertford Castle Weir.The shared valley of the Lea and the Beane is called Hartham Common and this provides a large park to one side of the town centre running towards Ware and lying below the ridge upon which Bengeo is situated.

Hartham Common

The town centre still follows the medieval layout with many timber-framed buildings hidden under later frontages, particularly in St Andrew Street. Hertford suffers from traffic problems despite the existence of the 1960s A414 bypass called Gascoyne Way which passes close to the town centre. Plans have for long existed to connect the A10 with the A414, by-passing the town completely. Nevertheless, the town retains very much a country-town feel, despite lying only 19.2 miles (30.9 km) north of Central London. This is aided by its proximity to larger towns such as Harlow, Bishop's Stortford and Stevenage where modern development has been focused.

Economy

Employment in the town is centred on County Hall (Hertfordshire County Council), Wallfields (East Hertfordshire District Council) and McMullens Brewery, one of a dwindling number of independent brewers in the United Kingdom. Many residents commute to work in London.

In comparison with neighbouring towns Hertford has suffered from the absence of a modern shopping development (mall). However, it has most of the usual supermarkets. A Tesco store occupies part of the former Christ's Hospital Bluecoat Girls School, which closed down in 1985. Sainsburys plans to build a new store on part of the McMullens Brewery site. The local branch of Woolworths closed for good on 27 December 2008, after the collapse of that store chain. There are very few of the usual chain shops found in most high streets and this makes Hertford stand out from other "clone towns". There is a high number of independent shops in the town with a variety of boutiques and salons.

Hertford Castle

Church of St Leonard

People

Alfred Russel Wallace who proposed a theory of natural selection at the same time as Charles Darwin lived in Hertford between the ages of five and thirteen and attended Hertford Grammar School. The radical politician John Wilkes was educated in Hertford. Samuel Stone was a 17th century Puritan Minister who established the American town of Hartford, Connecticut (with Thomas Hooker). He was born in July 1602, and lived in Fore Street, Hertford. He was baptised at All Saints Church. Much more recently, the band Deep Purple formed in Hertford in 1968. Harry Potter film star Rupert Grint comes from Hertford, and although he now lives outside the county town, he lived within Hertford when filming began on the Harry Potter series. He attended Richard Hale School before leaving after his GCSE exams in 2004. Other famous students at Richard Hale School are listed on that school's page.

Landmarks

• In the town are the remains of the original Hertford Castle, principally a motte. The castle's gatehouse, the central part of which dates to a rebuild by Edward IV in 1463, is the home to Hertford Town Council. The Motte, from the original Motte and Bailey castle in Hertford, can be found just behind Castle Hall, a short distance from the modern castle.
• There are several churches in the town, All Saints' and St Andrew's, are late and mid 19th century respectively. In the northern suburb of Bengeo lies St Leonard's, a two-celled Norman church of considerable architectural interest.

• In Railway Street can be found the oldest purpose-built Quaker Meeting House in the world, in use since 1670.
• The Parliament of England temporarily moved to Hertford during the Great Plague of London. This is why the main square in the town, Parliament Square, is so named, although it is a twentieth century creation.

• The home of Alfred Russel Wallace (see above), now named Wallace House, can be found at 11 St. Andrew St. and is marked with a plaque.^[5]

• Built in 1779 the Shire Hall was designed by Robert Adam.^[6] The ground floor houses Court Rooms.
• The Hertford Corn Exchange was built on the site of a former gaol. After years in the doldrums it has now reverted to being a live entertainment venue. ^[7]
• In Cowbridge there is a Prince Albert Cottage. ^[8] The first of these cottages were originally built in Hyde Park by the Society for Improving the Condition of the Labouring Classes in 1851 at the time of the Great Exhibition. Prince Albert was involved in their design and financing.

Transport

Hertford East railway station

Rail

Hertford serves as a commuter town for London, and has two stations :

• Hertford East (on the Hertford East Branch Line) provides a half hourly service to London Liverpool Street (taking 52 minutes), via Tottenham Hale and operated by National Express East Anglia.
• Hertford North (on the Hertford Loop Line) has a service every 20 minutes off-peak to London Moorgate station (taking 50 minutes), via Finsbury Park (change for King's Cross) and hourly northwards to Stevenage (for onward connections via the East Coast Main Line) and Letchworth (change for Cambridge), services operated by First Capital Connect.

Road

The A414 main road now bypasses the town centre to the south and runs east to Harlow, the M11 and Chelmsford and runs west to Hatfield, the A1, St Albans and the M1. Hertford also lies just west of the A10 and the Kingsmead Viaduct which links it south to London and the M25 and north to Royston and Cambridge.

Bus and Coach

• The town's bus services are run by a number of companies, most running from the bus station on Bircherley Green, destinations include Bishop's Stortford, Royston, Stevenage and Waltham Cross. Many of these routes receive subsidy from Hertfordshire County Council.
• The town also lies on the 724 coach route (operated by Arriva the Shires) which provides an hourly service from Harlow through the town and on to Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City, St Albans, Watford and Heathrow.
• Although bypassed by most National Express routes Hertford (Mill Road) is served by the 767 service which operates from Nottingham to Stansted Airport via Leicester and Luton Airport.

For all bus and coach timetables see here.

Education

There are numerous schools in Hertford: these include the The Sele School, Richard Hale School and Simon Balle School at secondary level, with primaries of Hollybush JMI, Millmead Community School, Bengeo County Primary School, Morgans JMI, Abel Smith School,Wheatcroft School,St Andrew's School and St. Josephs RC School.

Private schools include St. Joseph's In The Park, Duncombe School (a preparatory school in Bengeo) and Haileybury College in Hertford Heath; a short distance to the north of Hertford on the A10 is St Edmund's College.

Entertainment

Hertford has many food, drink and entertainment establishments which have grown in number considerably since the eighties and nineties. It attracts people from nearby towns, and often the North London suburbs. There are approximately 25 pubs and clubs in the area ^[9], and around 35 restaurants, takeaways and snack bars ^[10]. Hertford also hosts swimming pool and gym facilities, and has also recently acquired a small skatepark, based in Hartham Common.

Trivia

Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (October 2007)

• Conspiracy theories link Hertford to the Knights Templar and the Holy Grail. ^[11]

• BBC soap EastEnders has filmed in the town twice. Firstly for character Dan Sullivan's trial for shooting Phil Mitchell and again for Sharon and Dennis' marriage. Letitia Dean, who played the character of Sharon, was born in a village about five miles to the south of Hertford called Wildhill (Potters Bar). EastEnders is filmed about 20 miles from Hertford in Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, Herts.

• Dani Filth, singer of Cradle of Filth was born in Hertford, but grew up in Ipswich.

• David Bowie appeared in the BBC TV show Extras with Ricky Gervais filmed in Elbert Wurlings bar in Pegs Lane Hertford. ^[12]

Town twinning

• Évron, France
• Wildeshausen, Germany
• Hartford, Connecticut

References

External links

• Hertford Town Council
• Hertfordshire County Council
• Hertford events guide
• Zoom Hertford, online business directory
• Discover Hertford
• http://www.theinsider.org/news/article.asp?id=0620