Hertford images and attractions
This page contains images of some of the features and visitor attractions in Hertford.
Hertford Castle – rebuilt by King Edward IV in 1463 and extended during the reign of King George III, the gatehouse is the best preserved part of the castle. The castle has been the property of the Cecil family (as first Earls and later Marquesses of Salisbury) since 1628. The castle has been both a home and a prison for royalty.
Sundial – top of the sundial (the gnomon needed to cast the shadow is missing) near the entrance to the castle.
Castle Walls and Sensory Garden – section of the battlements seen from the Sensory Garden (planted in 1994). Close by is the Octagonal Tower and the 14th Century Postern (side entrance). The wall is 7 feet thick in places having been reinforced during the reign of King Henry II in the late 12th Century.
River Lea – once supplied the waters for the castle moat. In the grounds on the other side of the castle is a Cornish granite marker, erected in 1934, commemorating the first Synod of the English Church held somewhere in this area in 673 AD (some sources state 672 AD). Called by Theodore of Tarsus (7th Archbishop of Canterbury, and later St Theodore), the decision to declare Easter depending on the phases of the Moon was taken here. St Theodore was actually a Greek priest consecrated after the original candidate sent to Rome fell ill and died there. So the English Church, created before an All England Monarchy, was headed by a Greek priest consecrated by a Roman Pope.
Sele Mill – now converted into luxury apartments it is a reminder of Hertford's industrial past. The rivers providing both a transport route for raw material and finished products, and a power source for machinery.
Mural – painted on the wall bordering the forecourt of a derelict petrol station. This 18 x 3m mural depicts a panorama of Kingsmead and the River Lea created by members of the Hertford Art Society in 2009.
St Andrew's Church – there has been a church here for over a thousand years. However, the ornate spire shown in the photo dates back to 1869.
War Memorial, St Andrew Street – lists the names of the fallen around the base.
St Andrew Street – originally the Verger's house, today Hertford's oldest surviving building is an antique shop. It dates back to 1470.
Carved wood statue – this wooden statue can be seen outside the antiques shop. Sadly, the nose and feet have been damaged.
Alfred Russel Wallace house and plaque, St Andrew Street – a naturalist, author and scientist of Scottish ancestry, his family moved to Hertford when he was five. Educated at Hertford Grammar School, now the Richard Hale School (although his family were forced to withdraw him due to a lack of funds). He went on to become an associate of Charles Darwin (to whom he dedicated his work The Malay Archipelago in 1869). He carried out extensive field work in Asia and South America, and is considered by some to be the Father of Biogeography. An intellectual giant of the Victorian era, he is remembered in many ways – including by craters named after him on the Moon and Mars.
Hertford Library – contains the works of one time local resident Captain W E Johns (the creator of Biggles). On the side is a memorial plaque listing the local men of the Hertfordshire Regiment killed during the Boer War.
Remains of the Church of St Mary the Less – built around 1210 AD and destroyed before 1552. Found on the site of the library in 1882 and erected alongside in 1890.
McMullen & Sons Brewery offices – the company was founded in 1827 by Peter McMullen. It is the leading Hertfordshire brewer and pub chain (operating three pubs in Hatfield).
McMullen's Hertfordshire Brewery – this Victorian brewery was built in 1891. Water was obtained by a specially dug 140ft well (for a cost of £93 18s 8d). A newer brewery was built in 1984. However, both of these have been sold off. The company is concentrating on the retail side but opened a third smaller brewery across the road in 2006.
Decoration on the Hertfordshire Brewery building
Part of the decorative ironwork on top of the Hertfordshire Brewery building
Pepperpot style turret and weather vane on top of the clock
Childhood home of Captain W E Johns – the blue plaque over the door was unveiled on the centenary of his birth on 5 February 1993 by his niece. He studied at Hertford Grammar School. Curiously, he spent most of WWI fighting in the infantry. After joining the RFC in 1917, he did most of his war flying in DH.9's (twin seater bombers) as a 2nd Lieutenant (and later in the RAF as a Flight Lieutenant).
Hertford Baptist Church
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