Our Hertfordshire Heritage

Scenic presentations of the towns and villages in Hertfordshire.

Shot of a little girl playing in a field followed by a shot of a house and a river in Great Amwell. Camera pans along London’s New River which is joined to Amwell Springs. Shot of a cottage in the village Ayot St. Lawrence followed by a close up of a gate with ‘Shaw’s Corner’ engraved above it. Shot of Ayot St Lawrence Old Church. Shot of the ‘New Church’ in Ayot St Lawrence with a close up of the pillars. A woman climbs up the steps leading to the church. Shot of a house in Woolmer Green covered in wood carvings. Camera pans over a model village in the garden. Close up of a model of a windmill followed by a shot of the real windmill in Barley. Shot of some cows grazing in a field. Shot of cows gathered around the “Balloon Stone” at Standon Green End. Shot of an old track on the Icknield Way route. Shots of various scenic locations; the river Mimram, near Tewin, the Temple Bar near Cheshunt, cottages in the village of Westmill, Buttonsnap Cottage, Newgate Street, Barwick Ford, Northaw, castle fragments in Berkhampstead [Berkhamsted], Stratton’s Folly in Little Berkhampstead [Little Berkhamsted], Swans swimming on Water End near Hemel Hempstead. Shot of a train going along the Digswell Viaduct in Welwyn.

Featured Buildings

Ayot St Lawrence Old Church; Ayot St Lawrence New Church; Stratton's Folly; Digswell Viaduct

Keywords

Countryside; Model Village; Rural; Towns; Villages; Windmill;

Intertitles

Hertfordshire Scenes 1949-1955 Incidentally, the road beyond Hoddesdon has little to recommend it, except at Great Amswell, where one finds this- This is the beginning of London's New River. Great men have made their homes in Hertfordshire. Bernard Shaw chose Ayot St Lawrence. This village has an interesting ruined church. Nearby is the modern church. Grecian style- most unusual. Woolmer Green, near Stevenage, has this oddly decorated house. And a model village, too! There are not many windmills left, but there is one- near Barley. These cows, in such a peaceful setting, are actually foregathered at a most historic spot! They keep watch over the "balloon" store at Standon Green End. Vincenza Lunardi took off in a balloon from Moorfields, in London- the first human traveller of the skies! The great spherical envelope eventually landed on this spot, and the stone records the details. Green Road is pre-historic. Made long before the Romans came, the Icknield Way led from the Wash to the West Country. This is part of the old track which remains near Royston. (The ruts are modern!) A selection of picturesque places. The river Mimram, near Tewin. This is Temple Bar, which once stood in London's Fleet Street. You'll find it now near Cheshunt. Westmill. One of the prettiest villages. nearby is Buttonsnap Cottage, once the home of Charles Lamb. Newgate Street. Barwick Ford. Northaw. Away to the west, Berkhamstead is famous for it's castle fragments. While nearer in, Little Berkhamstead has Stratton's Folly. Stratton built this tower to enable him to see his ships sailing up the Thames- But it was by no means high enough! Wester End, near Hemel Hempstead. Digswell Viaduct. Blondin, the wire-walker, trained by pacing across these parapets.

Other Places

Great Amwell; Ayot St Lawrence; Woolmer Green; Barley; Standon Green End; Icknield Way; Tewin; Cheshunt; Westmill; Buttonsnap Cottage; Newgate Street; Barwick Ford; Northaw; Berkhamsted; Little Berkhamsted; Hemel Hempstead; Welwyn