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 […]
Tring’s John Bly has recently published the story of Ruth Osborne (‘the Witch of Tring’), the last woman to be condemned to death for witchcraft in the UK. John was inspired to find out more after reading her tale on the Tring Rural History website. Ruth’s fate is described in story form in the book […]
If the walls at Ashridge could talk, they’d have many tales to tell – having witnessed visitors and residents including Elizabeth I, Winston Churchill and even Oscar Wilde. Today, Ashridge House is home to a restaurant, the Bakehouse cafe, and is well known for its Christmas lights display. But 800 years ago, it was a […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
