As the Rex cinema celebrates its 20th anniversary, we look back over more than 100 years of its predecessors in the town. Berkhamsted has a long association with the world of the big screen, thanks to the location of the BFI (British Film Institute) National Archive, and with our own Rex cinema celebrating the 20th […]
The Tring Tiles come home The V&A has two examples of the Tring Tiles, plus two fragments, found by Tring people and given to the museum in the 1920s and 30s. These examples are the real thing, and will be on display at Tring Local History Museum until the spring. ‘It’s a great honour for […]
Morris dancing has a long history in Tring and surrounding areas. Its story can be traced back to the 15th century, and it’s still popular today, with May Day dancing at dawn in Aldbury being a firm local tradition. This form of English folk dance features dancers in costume, often wearing bells on their shoes […]
During World War II, Ashridge House became a maternity ward for women both from London and the surrounding area. A total of 2,700 babies were born there before the hospital closed in 1946. Historic Ashridge House hosted a memorable garden party this summer to reunite the ‘Ashridge babies’ – all born in the temporary maternity […]
Rectory Lane Cemetery provides a rich insight into the lives of those who lived in the town before us, a cross-section of society that includes both those who upheld the law and those who broke it. The Hertfordshire Constabulary was founded in 1841 and Henry Coulter, born in 1804, was one of the first members […]
A nobleman born at Pendley Manor, Sir Francis Verney became a pirate following a legal dispute over his inheritance… and was even the inspiration for an iconic Disneyland ride! Francis Verney was born in 1584 at Pendley Manor in Tring. His parents were Audrey Gardner and Sir Edmund Verney. Thanks to his father’s first and […]
Among the many distinguished residents in its history, Tring numbers ancestors of the first president of the United States. Who would have thought that a small market town in Hertfordshire could have played such an important part in the foundation of the United States? Yet it was, because the great great grandparents of the United […]
Taking a closer look at some of Berkhamsted’s historic buildings. When you live or work in the town, it’s easy to not notice some of the fabulous buildings you pass as you hurry to the office or head out to do the shopping. But next time you’re on the High Street, take a moment to […]
The chocolate box village of Aldbury has a dark Victorian tale in its history, beyond its thatched cottage and picture postcard village pond. Today, Aldbury is the destination for tourists from near and far, who come armed with cameras to capture this pretty English village, complete with thatched cottages and ancient buildings. It’s favoured by […]
Berkhamsted-born Thomas Stevens had great ambitions – which led to a pioneering trip on a Penny Farthing, and a search for an African explorer. How much did you pack for your last holiday or weekend away? We bet it was more than Berkhamsted-born Thomas Stevens, who took only a clean pair of socks, a spare […]
Thousands of young men took part in wartime training on Berkhamsted and Northchurch Commons before they were shipped to the Front. The beautiful Chilterns countryside around us provides a wonderful place to walk, especially in the autumn months, but there is one part of the land near Berkhamsted that still bears the scars of the […]
From humble beginnings, working in the town’s Silk Mill as a boy, Gerald Massey became a respected poet and author. Massey House in Brook Street remembers one of the town’s sons who became a respected Victorian poet and author despite a poor start in life. The apartment building is named after Gerald Massey – known […]