Local History

Portrait of Nell Gwynn

The Dames of Tring Park

Tring park is a favourite place for a walk, but has a fascinating history – including being the home of two famous actresses… Have you ever walked past the white folly in Tring Park and wondered why it was there? The white ‘porch’ with pillars is actually what remains of a summerhouse. And it had […]

Living Magazines Augustus John Smith

A Life Well Lived

Augustus Smith is a name entwined with Berkhamsted’s history – from the Battle of Berkhamsted Common to the creation of the town’s first elementary school. Berkhamsted has a link with the Isles of Scilly thanks to a 19th-century resident, whose name will be familiar to readers who went to school in the town in the […]

Living Magazines Tring High Street 1910

Tring’s Old Nick: Take a Tour

Tring’s High Street Police Station is the oldest in the county – discover its history and take a tour… Many Tring residents might pass by the blue door on the high street without realising what it is – but behind the heavy door is a historic building, the oldest police station in the county, which […]

Living Magazines Bailey & Sons Castle Street

A Tale of Three Families

Berkhamsted’s Bailey & Sons jewellers celebrates its 150th birthday this year – but the history of the business is intertwined with three different families. Bailey & Sons was founded by the Bailey Family on Castle Street in Berkhamsted in 1872 – they were jewellers and silversmiths and watch and clockmakers. John Henry Worner Bailey, who […]

Living Magazines Tring Silk Mill Oldest Known Photo

Hive of Local Industry

Tring’s Silk Mill is now a hub for small local businesses, but in its past life it has produced silk, electricity, plane parts – and even lipstick cases! Today, Silk Mill in Tring is a hub for local businesses including a martial arts centre and winery, but its history begins, as its name suggests, with […]

Living Magazines The Temple of Concord & Victory at the head of the Grecian Valley at Stowe

The Legacy of Capability Brown

The legendary 18th-century landscape designer Capability Brown has left his mark on a number of  properties in the Chilterns – most notably the Ashridge Estate. Even if you are not a keen gardener, you are bound to have heard of Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown. The influential 18th century landscape designer worked on a number of significant […]

Coronation-Jubliee Stamp

Coronation Celebrations

As we’ve all been enjoying ourselves celebrating HM The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee recently, it’s the perfect time to take a look back at how Tring marked the Coronation in 1953. The weather spoiled many celebrations around the UK on 2 June 1953 when HM Queen Elizabeth II was crowned.  And sadly, Tring was no different. […]

Hazel Road Street Party

Celebrating the Coronation

As we’ve all been enjoying ourselves celebrating HM The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee recently, we thought it would be the perfect time to take a look back at how Berkhamsted and the surrounding villages marked the Coronation in 1953. We’re always at the mercy of the weather in this country when it comes to outdoor celebrations […]

Living Magazines Wigginton History including Aunt Sarah

Wigginton’s Rich History

‘Wigginton is not a suburb of Tring, but instead a vibrant place with its own distinctive personality,’ says Wigginton History Society member, Richard Tregoning Folklore has it that in the 18th century, London released all the pimps and prostitutes and placed them in Wigginton – perhaps why it was known in the past as Wicked […]

Living Magazines St Peters Church Berkhamsted

800 Years of Worship

St Peter’s Church has been on its Berkhamsted High Street site since 1222. As it gets ready to celebrate its 800th anniversary we take a look at its long history. St Peter’s Church was built in 1222 just a few years after the Magna Carta was signed and has been present for the people of […]

Living Magazines Love Life and Laughter National Film Archive

Making it in the Movies

Ever wondered why the National Film Archive ended up in a Hertfordshire market town? We take a look at its story – and what happens there now… The BFI National Archive is one of the largest film archives in the world. Its history goes back to 1935. At its inception, it was known as the […]

Living Magazines Charles Rothschild

Charles Rothschild – the Forgotten Younger Brother?

Walter Rothschild is famous for driving a carriage drawn by zebras and of course his collection that formed the basis  of Tring’s Natural History Museum, but his younger brother left a lasting legacy that should not be forgotten… He may not be quite as well known as his more flamboyant older brother but Charles Rothschild […]