Hertford's History

The River Lea and it's crossing lie at the heart of Hertford's History. Before the Norman Conquest the river formed a natural boundary between the Danelaw to the north and Saxon Wessex to the south. Saxon villages already existed at Bengeo and Hertingfordbury and in 911 and 912 Edward The Elder, son of Alfred The Great, founded two fortified burghs, north and south of the Lee crossing (the ford is beleived to about 50 yards downstream of what is now Mill Bridge). Two small towns developed, with two churches - the saxon St.Mary The Less in Old Cross and St.Nicholas behind what is now Maidenhead Street. There were also two market places - beleived to be in Old Cross and on the site of The Shire Hall. Following the Norman Conquest, a castle was established, together with a priory and a new mill - Dicker Mill.

For 300 years the Castle was a Royal residence before passing into the ownership of the Salisbury's of Hatfield. For a short period though it was in the hands of the French after a long seige. The only remains of the Castle are the original motte, the flint walls and the gatehouse.

In the late 18th Century the River Lea navigation was cut through the town providing important access to London's corn markets. Because the town was surrounded by agricultural estates it was unable to expand otwards and so expanded upwards by adding storeys to existing buildings. The outward expansion of the town didn't come about until the late 19th Centurys when the railway came to the town.

Speed's Map

In 1610 John Speed made a map of Hertfordshire which includes an inset showing the town of Hertford. It shows the Royal Castle and four churches, together with the main streets.

Fore Street

The widest of the town's old streets, Fore Street was once the main thoroughfare through the town. It was often used for the sale of livestock until a new market was built behind The Ram Inn in Fore Street. The market later moved to Caxton Hill.

Parliament Square

Created in the 1920's and named after Parliament Row to the south side (now demolished) which was so named to commemorate the relocation of Parliament to The Castle behind, following the outbreak of The Great Plague in 1563.

Livestock Market

Fore Street was used for the sale of livestock until a purpose built market was constructed in 1851. This market had space for 2,500 sheep, 500 pigs and also space for calves. However there was no space for adult cattle. A further market was later built in Caxton Hill, which itself has now disappeared, making way for homes.

Corn Exchange

The original Corn Exchange was built in the early 1840's next to the Cross Keys Inn. Prior to this date, trading in corn was done behind the Shire Hall. The New Corn Exchange which replaced it was opened in 1859.

Market Street

Market Street was cut through between Fore Street and Railway Street in 1890. This meant the demolition of Beard's men's outfitters and Savage the cooper and basket maker in Fore Street; and cottages in Railway Street. Later on in the mid-1930s a bus stop was constructed in Market Street, whicg required the removal of the Thistledoo Cafe.

Post Office

The original Post Office was in Fore Street next to what is now the NatWest Bank. A purpose built Post Office was erected in 1890 by local builder H.Norris. .

Old Cross

Old Cross was originally the town centre of the northern part of the town. Free passage between the two parts of the town didn't come about until the removal of tolls from Mill Bridge in 1893.

Maidenhead Street

The streets now known as Maidenhead Street and Railway Street were both known once as Back Street, running parallel to Fore Street. The Street's name is taken from the Maidenhaed Inn, which stood on the site now occupied by Woolworth's. This was, and still arguably is, the main shopping area in Hertford.

Railway Street

Once the eastern end of Back Street until the coming of the railway in the mid-1800s. It was bordered on the north by Butcherly Green, a densely populated area of slums.

Bull Plain

Bull Plain takes its' name from The Bull Inn, which once stood near to what is now the site of Hertford Cameras. It 1915, there was extensive damage here after a Zeppelin raid.

Cowbridge

Cowbridge leads from Old Cross towards Port Vale and Port Hill. It is so called because it was the route used by drovers to get cattle in and out of the town.

St.Nicholas Hall

In 1893 the hall was restored as a parish Hall, with funds raised by a fete in Christs's Hospital grounds and monies from Hartford, Conneticut in America. It was named after the church in Maidenhaed Street, which fell into disuse, the parish being combined with that of St.Andrews. The church of St.Andrews stands next to St.Nicholas Hall.

Town Mills

Four of the town's mills were recorded in The Domesday Book of 1087 - Horn's Mill, Molewood Mill, Sele Mill and the Town Mill.

• Dicker Mill (sometimes known as Priory Mill) moved downstream from its' position by The Hertford Priory when the River Lee Navigation was extended to Hertford. In latter years it was an oil mill, extracting oils from linseed. It closed in the 1920s.
  
  
• Horn's Mill was at the foot of Bullock's Lane. The mill ground corn, crushed oil seeds and ground bones for fertiliser. Production ceased in the late nineteenth century and the premises were sold to leather-dresser William Webb. Chamois leather was produced at first but later a glove making business was established. This closed in 1971. The site is now occupied by housing in Tanners Close and Glovers Close.
  
  
• Molewood Mill was a corn mill until 1888.
  
  
• Sele Mill in the North Road was England's first paper mill. However, for most of it's time it was a corn mill. It was destroyed by a fire in 1890 that lasted three days. A new mill was built and continued until the late 1980s.
  
  
• The Town Mill on the bank on the River Lee by Mill Bridge was solely a corn mill. Run by Ilotts from 1855, the buildings were damaged by a V2 flying bomb in 1944. Production ceased in the 1960s and eventually the buildings were demolished to make way for the Castle Hall.
  
  
• Ware Park Mill, built by James Fordham in 1721, was used for griding corn and was powered by the water of the River Rib where it meets The Lee. It eventually fell into the hands of J.W.French & Co.

Butcherley Green

Butcherley Green was a densely populated area of slums inhabited by some 1300 people, on the site that borders Railway Street and is now the Birchley Green shopping Centre and bus station. This area was cleared after the first world war and the original bus station built. The residents were moved out to new housing, probably in Camps Road, now part of the Sele Farm Estate. In 1859 the town''s Ragged School was built here, next to the Tallow House, where candles were made. This site is now occupied by modern housing.

Schools

• All Saints Infacts School was built in 1845 and has now been incorporated. The premises of the School of Industry were acquired in 1902, later to become known as Faudel Phillips Infants School.
  
  
• Christ's Hospital moved to Hertford in 1666 to escape the plague. In 1906 the boys moved to Horsham, leaving the girls on the site until 1984, when they too moved to Surrey. The site is now offices and sheltered housing for the elderly.
  
  
• The Cowper Testimonial School was opened in 1841 and named after Henry Cowper who financied and equipped the Infirmary (later to become Hertford County Hospital). In 1861 the girls were moved to a new school next to what is now Abel Smith JMI. The premises in London Road remained in use until 1957, when the pupils were moved to the new school at Ball Park. The buildings have now been demolished.
  
  
• The Green Coat School's original location is unknown but in 1812 it moved into premises opposite All Saints Church. In 1868 the school moved to new premises in London Road. In 1894 the school closed and the buildings were eventually sold to Neale's Garage.
  
  
• Hale's Grammar School was founded by Richard Hale in 1617 close to what is now All Saint's Church. In 1930 the school moved to new premises in Peg's Lane.
  
  
• The Ragged School in Butcherly Green was provided for children of poor families in 1859, many of whom lived close by. The money for the school was provided by William Pollard, who kept a drapers shop (now Gravesons). The school closed in 1877.
  
  
• The School of Industry for Girls opened in 1793 and moved to new premises in 1850. The aim of the school was to prepare pupils for service in large houses. The building now forms part of Abel Smith JMI.
  
  
• St.Andrews School opened in 1882 in Hertingfordbury Road. In 1931 it moved to the new Sele Farm Estate.
  
  
• St.Joseph's Convent School appears to have opened around the turn of the century in St.John's Street. In 1952 the premises were converted into flats and the school moved to Hertingfordbury.
  
  

Breweries

• McMullens Brewery started in 1827 in Railway Street and in 1830 moved to premises on what is now the site of the Woolpack Public House. In 1890 the brewery moved to Hartham Lane, taking in the Hope Brewery.
  
  
• Nicholl's Brewery was in West Street and was demolished to make way for housing in 1965.
  
  
• The Hope Brewery was in Hartham Lane and was taken over by McMullen's in 1890.
  
  
• Wickham's Brewery stood in Mill Bridge where The Castle Hall now stands.
  
  
• Young's Brewery occupied a site behind hwta is now The Sportsman Public House. It was opened in 1754 and closed in 1897, when it was absorbed into Christ's Hospital's grounds. The wall with cellar openings can still be seen in South Street.
  
  

Railways

The first railway station was built in 1843 opposite what is now The Great Eastern Tavern in Railway Street. This position, rather than one closer to the town, was chosen so as to keep the station at some distance from both the Gaol and Christ's Hospital School. The station was at the termination of the new branch line from the London-Cambridge railway at Broxbourne. In 1858, the line was extended to Welwyn, including a new station at Cowbridge near McMullens Brewery. In 1888 a new station - Hertford East - was opened. Hertford North was opened in 1924 and followed shortly after by the building of many houses in lower Bengeo and in Camps Road, later to become part of the Sele Farm Estate.

Mill Bridge

Close the the original crossing on the River Lea, Millbridge is arguably the cradle of the town.

Hertford Castle

Hertford Castle started life as a simple motte and bailey - an earthen mound topped by a wooden tower with a moat, which was constructed for the protection of the townspeople. The earthen mound can still be seen in the grounds of the Castle. The flint curtain walls and outer moat were constructed in the late twelfth century. The Crown appointed a series of govenors before the Castle was taken by the French Dauphin in 1216 following a month long seige. Following the defeat of the Dauphin by Henry III at Lincoln, the Castle passed through the hands of various governors, including several English Queens. Kings of Scotland and France have been imprisoned in the castle, including Mary Queen Of Scots; and Elizabeth the First spent much of her childhood there. In 1630 the freehold was given by The Crown to the Salisburys of Hatfield. In 1911 the Castle was leased to Hertford Borough Council and later East Herts District Council.

Hertford Priory

Hertford Priory was established shortly after the Norman Conquest by Ralph de Limesi, a strong supporter of William I. It was built on the banks of the Lee close to the present Priory Street and was dedicated to St.Mary. The lands owned by the Priory included pastures on the Meads and Dicker Mill. De Limesi eventually became Prior and both he and his wife were buried in the Priory cemetery.

In 1536 the Priory was dissolved and the property passed to Anthony Denny, one of Henry VIII's Privy Councillors. It later fell into the ownership of Thomas Willis., who in 1629 built St.John's Church on the site of the ruined St.Mary's. In 1637 the Priory Manor and it's grounds were sold to Sir John Harrison of Ball's Park and later on that century the church was pulled down. The Priory House was built in the late 16th Century. The eastern part was demolished in 1860 and the remainder in 1906.

Gaols

There have been three gaols in Hertford at one time or another. The first was in Back Street (now Railway Street) which was a house of correction. During the 18th Century there was a gaol on the site of what is now The Corn Exchange and this brought a number of outbreaks of smallpox to the town. The gaol was later moved to the Ware Road and in 1790 was extended to take in the Back Street correctional facility. The town gallows was at the top of Gallows Hill (then Chalk Hill) and is now in Madame Tussaud's Chamber of Horrors!

Bibliography:
The Archive Photographs Series - Hertford, by Mervyn Miller
Hertford's Past in Pictures by Len Green.
The Book Of Hertford by Cyril Heath.
Buildings Of Hertford, Hertford Civic Society

This page last updated 19th April 1998