BERKHAMSTED

'Berkhamsted' is an historic town of some 19,000 people. It is situated in the west of Hertfordshire, between the towns of Tring and Hemel Hempstead. It is in the administrative district (and borough since 1984) of Dacorum. The town thrives as a prosperous settlement for those working in London and the South East and the area around Tring.
The name of the town has been spelt in a variety of ways over the years, and the present spelling was adopted in 1937. Earlier spellings included ''Berkhampstead'', ''Great Berkhamsted'' and ''Berkhamstead''. The town is sometimes colloquially known to locals as ''Berko''.
It is also the home of the British Film Institute's National Film and Television Archive, the largest film archive of its kind in the world endowed by John Paul Getty

Contents

History

Buildings

Famous People

Gallery

External links

History

Berkhamsted was the terminating point of the Norman invasion of 1066. Having defeated Harold II and the English, William led the Norman invading army encircling London crossing the Thames at Wallingford making for Berkhamsted, at which point the conquest was effectively complete. Edgar Atheling submitted to William the Conqueror here and William was offered the crown of England, but declined saying he would rather receive the keys to London in Berkhamsted and would have the crown in London, his preferred town. The castle was rebuilt in stone in the 1080s and became a favourite home of Norman and Plantagenet monarchs. It remained a Royal Castle until abandoned in 1495. Much of the stonework was plundered for building materials for the town and nearby Berkhamsted Place (now ruined) but the impressive earthworks and two moats remain. The Saxon surrender to William and royal links with the town are probably the source of the local legend that Berkhamsted is the "real" capital of England.
The town is home to what is believed to be the oldest extant shop in Great Britain, dated by dendrochronology of structural timbers to between 1277 and 1297. Evidence has been found that it may have been a jeweller or goldsmith. The shop, at 173 High Street, is currently (2006) in use as an estate agent, which has proved controversial as some residents of Berkhamsted think the site should be preserved.
The Grand Junction Canal from the Thames at Brentford to Berkhamsted was completed in 1798 and all the way to Birmingham in 1805.
Berkhamsted was the home of the 3rd Duke of Bridgewater, affectionately known as the Father of Inland Navigation, as he was the innovator of the British canal system. His monument stands in nearby Ashridge. From 1797 when the Grand Union Canal was cut through Berkhamsted, Castle Wharf became a hub of inland water transport and boat building activity. It was known as the Port of Berkhamsted. The town also stands on the River Bulbourne (non navigable).

Buildings

Berkhamsted Castle is a ruined Norman castle, beside the railway station. Now in the care of English Heritage, this was once the home of Edward, the Black Prince and his wife, Joan of Kent.
The Town Hall, Built in 1859 and designed by Edward Buckton Lamb Comprised a market hall (now Brasserie Chez Gerard), large assembly hall, and rooms for the Mechanics’ Institute
Ashlyns School, a large impressive building which was the former foundling hospital, built in 1935. It contains stained glass windows, a staircase and many monuments from the original London hospital founded by Thomas Coram in 1740. The School Chapel housed an organ which has been played on by Handel.
Berkhamsted Collegiate School, founded in 1541 and attended by the celebrated author Graham Greene, whose father was headmaster there.
The Rex, Berkhamsted, is a fine example of the very best art deco cinema with glorious decorations. Originally opened in 1938, closed in 1988 and reopened in 2004 after an extensive redevelopment, the cinema has been restored to become one of the most popular and sought after entertainment attractions in the area, often selling out entire performances. They also regularly have guest presenters from the cast or crew to introduce the films.

Famous People

Famous people born in Berkhamsted include in the first place the outstanding English novelist Graham Greene (1904-1991), whose father has been headmaster of Graham's school. One of Greenes novels, "The Human Factor", takes place there and mentions several places of interest of the town. In his autobiography, Greene says, that he has been moulded in a special way "through Berkhamstead". Greene's life and works are celebrated annually during the last weekend in September with a festival organized by the Graham Greene Birthplace Trust. Then, the English poet William Cowper (1731), Lord Proprietor of the Isles of Scilly Augustus Smith (1804), the influential soldier Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien (1858), the actor Michael Hordern (1911) and the television presenter Esther Rantzen (1940). John Cleese from Fawlty Towers lived in Berkhamsted. It is also the birthplace of singer Sarah Brightman.
The fictional BBC Radio 4 character Ed Reardon is based in Berkhamsted.

Gallery

External links

★ Berkhamsted Town Council. The web site of Berkhamsted Town Council

★ berkhamsted.info. A directory of information useful to the population of Berkhamsted.

★ Berkhamsted Collegiate School Main Web Site. The web site of Berkhamsted Collegiate School

★ Berkhamsted Canal Heritage A local web site galvanizing support to save part of Berkhamsted's heritage.

★ Life and times of Great Berkhamsted Home page of Norman Cutting, Berkhamsted resident and political commentator

★ St Peter's Church dating back to the 13th century

★ Berkhamsted Lawn Tennis & Squash Club. The web site of Berkhamsted Tennis & Squash club

★ Ashlyns School. Ashlyns School, Berkhamsted

★ The Rex, Berkhamsted. The Rex, Berkhamsted