Hertford
| Hertford | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Coordinates | 51 ° 48 ′ N , 0 ° 5 ′ W | ||
| OS National Grid | TL325125 | ||
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| Residents | 26,783 (as of 2011) | ||
| administration | |||
| Post town | HERTFORD | ||
| ZIP code section | SG13 SG14 |
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| prefix | 01992 | ||
| Part of the country | England | ||
| region | East of England | ||
| Shire county | Hertfordshire | ||
| District | East Hertfordshire | ||
| Civil Parish | Hertford | ||
| British Parliament | Hertford and Stortford | ||
Hertford [ ˈhɑːtfəd or ˈhɑːfəd ] is a town in the county of Hertfordshire , about 20 km north of London . It belongs to the East Hertfordshire district and is the administrative seat of the county. Hertford has a population of around 24,000.
The town lies at the confluence of the Rib , Beane and Mimram rivers with the Lea , which flows further south to the Thames . Its name comes from the Anglo-Saxon language and means " ford that is crossed by deer" (ford = ford, hard = deer).
Many commuters who work in the nearby capital live in Hertford . Trains run from Hertford North to London's King's Cross and Moorgate stations and from Hertford East to Liverpool Street . The main employers in Hertford are the County Council of Hertfordshire, the District Council of the East Hertfordshire District and the McMullen Brewery.
Although Hertford is only about 35 km from central London, the city has retained a rural flair. This is favored by the proximity to Harlow and Stevenage , which have evolved far more modern.
history
Before the invasion of the Normans under William the Conqueror in 1066, the river Lea formed the natural border between the Danelag in the north and the Saxon kingdom of Wessex in the south. Anglo-Saxon settlements existed in Bengeo and Hertingfordbury before the invasion. Eduard the Elder had two fortifications built to the north and south at a ford of the river. So two small places came into being. After the Norman invasion, a castle , Hertford Castle , a monastery and a new mill were built in Hertford . The Domesday Book (1086) lists 146 heads of families, two churches, two marketplaces and three mills.
During the civil war, which broke out because of the controversial succession to the throne after the death of Henry I , Hertford supported Heinrich's daughter Mathilde in the fight against Heinrich's nephew Stephan . After Stephen's death, Heinrich II had Hertford Castle rebuilt between 1170 and 1174, probably as a thank you for his mother's support, but also to pacify the area. In 1299 Margaret of France, wife of Edward I , received the castle, which four years later became the royal residence.
The monastery was abandoned in 1536. In 1563, during the plague , the English Parliament temporarily moved to Hertford. In 1628 the castle came to William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Salisbury . The last witch trial in England took place here in 1712 . The castle complex later fell into disrepair; today only the moth , some walls and the gatehouse remain as ruins.
In 1767 the Lea was expanded for shipping and connected Hertford with the important grain markets in London. Since the city was surrounded by agricultural land, no further expansion was considered, instead the existing buildings were raised. It was only with the connection to the railroad in 1843 that the area was enlarged.
Attractions
You can visit the remains of Hertford Castle. The city's two largest churches, All Saints and St Andrews , date from the early 20th and mid-19th centuries, respectively. In the northern suburb of Bengeo is the Church of St Leonards , an architecturally interesting Norman church that was built around 1120.
Hertford is home to the oldest Quaker meeting house , built for this purpose and in use since 1670. Conspiracy theories associate the city with the Holy Grail and the Knights Templar .
Personalities
- Jack Trevor Story (1917-1991), writer
- George Ezra (* 1993), singer-songwriter
Town twinning
Hertford maintains the following city partnerships:
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Wildeshausen , Lower Saxony , Germany
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Evron , Mayenne department , France .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Twin Towns - Hertford ( Memento of the original from May 26, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (English)
