Steve's World Blog Information and articles on cities, towns and villages around the world.

May 3, 2012

Redbourn Hertfordshire

Filed under: England,United Kingdom — Tags: , , , , — needahand @ 10:56 am

Redbourn Hertfordshire – A village located to the north-east of Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire, Redbourn has a population of about six thousand inhabitants and has a history going back at least to the times of the Saxons, when a settlement existed there. Redbourn was considered important enough to be listed in the Domesday Book and by the twelfth century its St Mary’s parish church was built, followed closely by the foundation of a priory on Redbourn Common. Evidence of early settlement is taken from its proximity to “The Aubreys”, site of an Iron Age hillfort. Redbourn was later a significant coaching stop and was renowned for its large number of pubs and inns, built to service these passing travellers. Redbourn is close to St Albans, Harpenden and Hemel Hempstead.

Get a street map of Redbourn village centre here: http://www.streetmapz.co.uk/redbourn.html

And a map of Hemel Hempstead centre here: http://www.streetmapz.co.uk/hemel-hempstead.html

March 8, 2012

Premier Inn Potters Bar

Filed under: England,hotels,United Kingdom — Tags: , , , , — needahand @ 2:39 pm

Premier Inn Potters Bar – The Premier Inn South Mimms/Potters Bar Hotel enjoys an ideal location for both business travellers and for tourists who wish to stay in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire. The Premier Inn Potters Bar Hotel enjoys a convenient location with modern amenities in every guestroom and superb service is offered to all guests visiting Hertfordshire. The room facilities include non smoking rooms, air conditioning, desk, hairdryer, ironing board, television. For the convenience of customers, the Premier Inn Potters Bar hotel offers twenty four hour room service, shops, bar, meeting / banquet facilities, restaurant, facilities for Disabled Guests, and Business Centre. These advanced infrastructures in addition to quality services to meet the needs of visitors to Potters Bar. The town of Potters Bar is in the county of Hertfordshire to the north-east of Borehamwood and Barnet.

Find your way around the town with this Potters Bar map: http://www.my-towns.co.uk/potters-bar-map.html

December 18, 2010

Hoddesdon Hertfordshire

Filed under: England,History,United Kingdom — Tags: , , , , , — needahand @ 5:44 pm

A a small commuter town located in the valley of the River Lea in Hertfordshire, Hoddesdon has a population of 20,250, and is an ancient town which mostly developed as a stopping point for horse drawn coaches travelling between London and Cambridge, heading north on the Great North Road. Hoddesdon originated as a Saxon settlement probably deriving its name from the Old English or Danish, it was significant enough in the 11th century to be listed in the Domesday Book and later received a charter to hold a market. As the importance of horse drawn carriages declined, another industry provided income for the town in the form of gravel, though this ran out by the 1970’s, leaving water filled gravel pits providing water sports facilities for its modern day residents. Hoddesdon is just north of Broxbourne and surrounding villages include Roydon, Great Amwell, Hunsdon, Lower Nazeing and Stanstead Abbotts.

December 10, 2010

Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire

Filed under: England,History,United Kingdom — Tags: , , , — needahand @ 6:52 pm

A large town located in the county of Hertfordshire, Hemel Hempstead has a population of over 80,000 and though settled as long ago as Anglo-Saxon times, mostly grew as a New Town after the second world war. Recorded in the Domesday Book as Hamelamesede, the town received its charter in 1539, after which it held a street market every Thursday, its parish church of St Mary dates from the 12th century. In 1946 Hemel Hempstead was named as the site of a New Town, and quickly developed into a busy town, surrounding its older parts on all sides. Popular with shoppers from surrounding towns, Hemel Hempstead is a commercial centre for the region. Interesting places to visit in the Hemel Hempstead area include the historic village of Kings Langley, formerly the location of a priory and a royal palace (of the Plantagenet Kings), and the former coaching station of Redbourn sitting on Watling Street, a charming village with a 12th century church.

December 8, 2010

Chesham Buckinghamshire

The largest town in the Chiltern District of Buckinghamshire, lying in the south-east of the county, Chesham is a market town situated in a steep sided valley at the source of the River Chess. A progressive town with a population of around 20,000, Chesham is a popular commuter town which is on the London Underground line (Metropolitan), giving good access to the capital. Chesham holds a market twice a week, much as it has done for centuries, and a more recent addition, the Elgiva Theatre attracts thousands of visitors to the town, providing much needed entertainment for both its residents and those living nearby. Surrounded by wide expanses of beautiful countryside, Chesham offers plenty of opportunity for walking and cycling, while providing a relaxed and friendly shopping experience for those choosing to stay in the town centre. Places of interest nearby include the Hertfordshire village of Bovingdon, which holds a well known Saturday market on its disused airport, on the same airport you can try out paintballing or watch banger racing, should you wish, and also the pretty village of Ashley Green, a charming place to spend an hour or two.

November 11, 2010

Hertford Hertfordshire

Filed under: England,History,Travel,United Kingdom — Tags: , — needahand @ 4:59 pm

A town and parish located in the county of Hertfordshire, England, Hertford has a population of around 24,000 and a history going back to Anglo-Saxon times, when it acquired its name which no doubt refers to its position on a ford over the River Lea, where harts (or stags) would have crossed. First recorded as a town in 673, Hertford was a significant town by the time of the Norman conquest, having mills, churches and markets already established. The Normans built a castle in the town and there was also a priory erected, which remained until the dissolution of the monasteries in the 16th century. Hertford grew prosperous over the centuries and especially after the arrival of a canal in 1767 and the railway in the mid-nineteenth century. Hertford has been the county town of Hertfordshire since Saxon times, and has retained its importance in the affairs of the county. Major landmarks in the town include Hertford Castle, with some original sections, the Robert Adam designed Shire Hall (1779), Wallace House, the Corn Exchange and the Hertford Museum. Hertford lies at the confluence of four rivers, them main one being the River Lea, and when the weather is fine there can be no better way to spend a few hours than to take a stroll along the river, or even hire a boat and cruise along the river itself.

March 13, 2010

Letchworth, Hitchin and Baldock Hertfordshire

Filed under: England,Uncategorized,United Kingdom — Tags: , , , , — needahand @ 8:23 am

Three of the larger towns in the county of Hertfordshire, England, Letchworth, Hitchin and Baldock could not be more different. Letchworth formerly just a small village, was joined with the villages of Norton and Willan to form Letchworth Garden City, one of Ebenezer Howard’s ‘new towns’ in 1903. Set out as part of his dream of a city surrounded by countryside, with every house having its own garden, Letchworth never quite lived up to Howard’s ideals. On the other side of the historic coin, Hitchin was a settlement of the Hicci tribe way back in the 7th century, its name seems to have derived from the local River Hiz (pronounced Hitch). The town later prospered due to the wool trade and was a staging post for coaches travelling north from London. Local legend tells that Henry VIII almost died in a fire in Hitchin, though he managed to escape across the aforementioned River Hiz. Not quite so old, but historic nonetheless, Baldock was founded by the Knights Templar during the 12th century, the town grew around the crossroads of the Icknield Way and the Great North Road, and, like Hitchin, became a coaching post for travellers to and from London. Baldock developed since the 16th century as an important brewing and malting centre, with three major breweries operating in the town, which was also renowned for its large number of pubs!

November 20, 2009

Watford Hertfordshire

Filed under: England,History,United Kingdom — Tags: , — needahand @ 1:25 pm

First mentioned in Anglo Saxon chronicles of 1007, the town of Watford, in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, was never listed in the Domesday Book, and remained a small rural community ruled by a succession of feudal lords for many centuries, becoming a market town during the 18th century. The Industrial Revolution of the late 18th and 19th centuries brought industry to the town, accelerated by the arrival of both the Grand Union Canal and the railway. As the factories and mills fell into ruin and disappeared, Watford became an important commercial centre for the Home Counties. Watford these days has a population of just under 80,000 and is well known for its football club Watford FC, and its chairman musician Elton John who grew up in the area. Watford Map.

November 9, 2009

Hertfordshire Towns – Harpenden

Filed under: England,History,United Kingdom — Tags: , , , , , — needahand @ 2:29 pm

A small town in the county of Hertfordshire, UK, Harpenden is within the district of St Albans and has an interesting history. Roman remains discovered in areas around Harpenden suggest of settlements in the centuries BC, however the original village of Harpenden developed as woodland was cleared under Edward the Confessor during the eleventh century, to make room for farming around Wheathampstead Manor, the first church to be built was the St Nicholas church (1217). Somewhat later during the Wars of the Roses, a common close to Harpenden was the site of the Second Battle of St Albans. During the early 19th century, Harpenden was the location of the 1st annually run steeplechase race, and was a popular location for horse racing throughout the century. The face of Harpenden changed forever with the arrival of the railway, as farms were replaced with residential development. During WW2 the town was used for the evacuation of children from bomb torn London. Harpenden today is mostly a commuter town, which enjoys excellent road and rail links with London.

November 8, 2009

Wheathampstead Hertfordshire

Filed under: England,History,United Kingdom — Tags: , , , , — needahand @ 9:39 pm

A small town to the north of St Albans in Hertfordshire, Wheathampstead has a population of over 6,000 and is basically little more than a large village. The history of Wheathampstead goes back to the centuries BC, when there were settlements established by a tribe known as the Belgae. Evidence found in an area known as Devil’s Dyke provided proof of these early settlements. Wheathampstead was later mentioned in the Domesday Book (1089), when it was referred to as Watamestede. Though there may have been a church in the town before the Normans arrived, the earliest surviving construction is part of the church of  St Helens which dates from around 1280. Right up until 1859 Wheathampstead was part of the same rectory as another Hertfordshire town, Harpenden. Present day Wheathampstead is within the district of St Albans. Map of Wheathampstead.

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