Historic East Hertfordshire
Explore hidden histories, historic photos, and things you never knew about East Hertfordshire from the collections and archives of Historic England.
Discover East Hertfordshire's listed buildings and places
Introducing some of East Hertfordshire's most significant historic sites, curated from the National Heritage List for England.
Baroque garden in Grotto Wood
Hertingfordbury
Post-medieval formal gardens are garden arrangements dating between the early 16th and mid-18th centuries, their most characteristic feature being a core of geometric layout, typically...
Hertford Quaker Meeting House
Hertford
A Quaker meeting house dating to 1670. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Hertford Castle: a motte and bailey castle south of the R…
Hertford
Motte and bailey castles are medieval fortifications introduced into Britain by the Normans.
Hunsdon World War II airfield defences
Eastwick
The importance of defending airfields against attack was realised before the outbreak of World War II and a strategy evolved as the war went on.
Thundridgebury moated enclosure and associated remains of…
Thundridge
Around 6,000 moated sites are known in England.
RAF Sawbridgeworth World War II airfield defences
High Wych
The importance of defending airfields against attack was realised before the outbreak of World War II and a strategy evolved as the war went on.
Section of Roman road in Rigery Lane
Standon
Roman roads were artificially made-up routes introduced to Britain by the Roman army from c.AD 43. They facilitated both the conquest of the province and its subsequent administration.
Rye House moated enclosure and gatehouse
Stanstead Abbots
Around 6,000 moated sites are known in England.
Youngsbury
Thundridge
Youngsbury, designed by Lancelot "Capability" Brown in the 1760s, features picturesque grounds with enhanced landscapes, a Palladian mansion, and strategic tree planting.
Barrow Hill: a motte castle 250m south of Barrow Farm
Widford
Motte castles are medieval fortifications introduced into Britain by the Normans.
Waytemore Castle: a motte and bailey castle immediately s…
Bishop's Stortford
Motte and bailey castles are medieval fortifications introduced into Britain by the Normans.
Bowl barrow in Easneye Wood, 110m south-east of Dairy Farm
Stanstead Abbots
Bowl barrows, the most numerous form of round barrow, are funerary monuments dating from the Late Neolithic period to the Late Bronze Age, with most examples belonging to the period...
Youngsbury Roman barrows
Thundridge
Earthen barrows are the most visually spectacular survivals of a wide variety of funerary monuments in Britain dating to the Roman period.
Church of St Peter
Tewin
The Church of St. Peter in Tewin has 11th-century origins, with significant additions and restorations through the 13th to 20th centuries.
Clarkson Monument on High Cross Hill
Thundridge
Commemorative monument, standing on the west side of Cambridge Road. Erected 9 October 1879 for Arthur Giles Puller of Youngsbury. The monument lies on the west side of High Cross Hill.
Hunsdon Brook Fishponds
Hunsdon
A group of four Tudor fishponds, created for Henry VIII between 1525 and 1534.
Rye House Gatehouse
Stanstead Abbots
Rye House Gatehouse, associated with the 1683 Rye House Plot against Charles II, is a significant 15th-century structure now part of Lee Valley Park.
Woodhall Park
Sacombe
Woodhall Park, a late-18th-century landscape park, features formal gardens, pleasure grounds, and a historic country house, now Heathmount School.
Hunsdon War Memorial
Hunsdon
A First World War memorial, unveiled 21 November 1921 with later plaque commemorating the fallen of the Second World War. Read the official list entry to find out more.
War Memorial at St Michael's Church
Bishop's Stortford
War memorial incorporating a C15 lantern cross, unveiled in 1920, dedicated to the fallen of the First World War. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Great Amwell War Memorial
Great Amwell
First World War Memorial designed by Eadred Lutyens. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Hertford Heath War Memorial
Hertford Heath
First World War memorial with names added after the Second World War. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Granary at Camwell Hall Farm
Much Hadham
Timber-framed granary probably dating to the C16. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Wareside War Memorial
Wareside
War memorial, unveiled c1920 and dedicated to the fallen of the First World War with later inscriptions added to commemorate those who fell in the Second World War.
Datchworth War Memorial
Datchworth
Datchworth war memorial was erected in 1919 and dedicated to the fallen of the First World War with later inscriptions added to commemorate those who fell in the Second World War.
Roman Catholic Church of St Edmund of Canterbury and Engl…
Standon
Roman Catholic Church of St Edmund of Canterbury and English Martyrs, a small parish church in the Decorated Gothic Revival style, and associated lych gate, built in 1911 to designs by...
Bummers Hill: a bowl barrow 135m north-west of Mutfords …
Hormead
Bowl barrows, the most numerous form of round barrow, are funerary monuments dating from the Late Neolithic period to the Late Bronze Age, with most examples belonging to the period...
War Memorial
Tewin
War memorial located in front of St Peter's Church, designed by Sir Herbert Baker and erected in 1920. Read the official list entry to find out more.
59 (Salisbury House) and 59A High Street
Buntingford
Former double ended hall house, now house (number 59) and shop (number 59A).
Parish Church of St John the Baptist (Church of England)
Cottered
Parish church. Mid C14, possibly incorporating earlier fabric, with C15, C16 and C18 alterations and additions, restored and re-seated in 1886.
Historic East Hertfordshire through time
The National Heritage List for England contains hundreds of details about buildings and places, including the periods in which they were built and the uses they've had over the years. Explore how your local area has changed through time.
Prehistoric Before AD 43
Prehistory covers a million years of human occupation before the Roman invasion and the introduction of writing. Primarily hunter-gatherers of several human species including Neanderthals, the peoples moved across Europe, hunting animals, exchanging ideas and developing complex culture and belief systems including burial rites and astronomical understanding, as at Stonehenge for example.
Roman AD 43 to AD 410
Britain was invaded by four legions of the Roman army in AD 43, who relatively rapidly conquered England from landing points in Kent. Parts of Wales and Scotland soon followed.
Roman culture brought urbanism, monumental buildings, wide-ranging religious beliefs, writing, and strong social hierarchy. The Roman administrative system was withdrawn in AD 410.
Early medieval AD 410 to AD 1066
This period, often associated in England with Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, saw a reduction in urban living from the Roman period and increased migration from northern Europe.
Traces of this period can be found in cemeteries, particularly in artefacts and in some of the very early churches, as this period also saw the growth of Christianity in Britain.
Medieval AD 1066 to AD 1540
This period, sometimes known as the Middle Ages, began with the Norman invasion in AD 1066. It saw a significant rise in military and defensive buildings such as castles and earthworks, as well as religious houses dominating a largely agricultural landscape.
The monarchy and Church dominated the period, which also saw the break with the Roman Church and the English reformation.
Post medieval AD 1540 to AD 1901
The Post-Medieval period brought seismic changes to life in England, with religious reformation leading to the democratization of worship and the destruction of hundreds of religious houses.
In parallel, there was a huge expansion of scientific study and enlightenment that permanantly altered the nation's social structure and landscape. Industrialization and mass production lead to wider global trade, emigration, and immigration.
20th century AD 1901 to AD 2000
The 20th century saw an incredible expansion of England's transport networks, with suburban growth shadowing rapid infrastructural expansion. The establishment of state schools, hospitals, and modern technical colleges, with new architectural styles, radically changed the appearance of towns and cities.
Two catastrophic world wars and the 1918 pandemic also brought unprecedented change, altering England's built environment and social structures forever.
Prehistoric Before AD 43
Prehistory covers a million years of human occupation before the Roman invasion and the introduction of writing. Primarily hunter-gatherers of several human species including Neanderthals, the peoples moved across Europe, hunting animals, exchanging ideas and developing complex culture and belief systems including burial rites and astronomical understanding, as at Stonehenge for example.
Roman AD 43 to AD 410
Britain was invaded by four legions of the Roman army in AD 43, who relatively rapidly conquered England from landing points in Kent. Parts of Wales and Scotland soon followed.
Roman culture brought urbanism, monumental buildings, wide-ranging religious beliefs, writing, and strong social hierarchy. The Roman administrative system was withdrawn in AD 410.
Early medieval AD 410 to AD 1066
This period, often associated in England with Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, saw a reduction in urban living from the Roman period and increased migration from northern Europe.
Traces of this period can be found in cemeteries, particularly in artefacts and in some of the very early churches, as this period also saw the growth of Christianity in Britain.
Medieval AD 1066 to AD 1540
This period, sometimes known as the Middle Ages, began with the Norman invasion in AD 1066. It saw a significant rise in military and defensive buildings such as castles and earthworks, as well as religious houses dominating a largely agricultural landscape.
The monarchy and Church dominated the period, which also saw the break with the Roman Church and the English reformation.
Post medieval AD 1540 to AD 1901
The Post-Medieval period brought seismic changes to life in England, with religious reformation leading to the democratization of worship and the destruction of hundreds of religious houses.
In parallel, there was a huge expansion of scientific study and enlightenment that permanantly altered the nation's social structure and landscape. Industrialization and mass production lead to wider global trade, emigration, and immigration.
20th century AD 1901 to AD 2000
The 20th century saw an incredible expansion of England's transport networks, with suburban growth shadowing rapid infrastructural expansion. The establishment of state schools, hospitals, and modern technical colleges, with new architectural styles, radically changed the appearance of towns and cities.
Two catastrophic world wars and the 1918 pandemic also brought unprecedented change, altering England's built environment and social structures forever.
Aerial photos of East Hertfordshire
Historic aerial photography shows the growth and changes in England's urban and rural landscapes, revealing secrets that are impossible to see from the ground.
Much Hadham
The Lordship, Much Hadham, 1947
Much Hadham
The Lordship, Much Hadham, 1947
Benington
Benington Park and Home Covert, Benington, 1939
Benington
Benington Park, Benington, 1939
St Margarets
St Margaret's Bury, St Margarets, 1938
St Margarets
St Margaret's Bury and surrounding countryside, St Margarets, 1938
Cold Christmas
Swangles Farm, Cold Christmas, 1947
Cold Christmas
Swangles Farm, Cold Christmas, 1947
Bishop'S Stortford
Bell's Hill, Bishop's Stortford, 1920
Bishop'S Stortford
Bishop's Stortford College and environs, Bishop's Stortford, 1949
Historic England Archive images of East Hertfordshire
The Historic England Archive holds and cares for over 15 million images, from the 1850s to the present day. Discover stunning images of East Hertfordshire's past.
Charles George Harper Collection
East Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire
Date created: 1892 - 1933
Malthouses and the tower of St Mary's Church
Eileen ‘Dusty’ Deste Collection
Great Amwell, East Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire
Date created: circa 1964
A view looking across New River towards a Weeping Willow on the opposite bank with the tower of St John the Baptist's Church in the background
Eric de Mare
Stanstead Abbots, East Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire
Date created: 1956
General view of the Maltings in Stanstead Abbots looking across the river Lee.
John Gay Collection: London
East Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire
Date created: 1960s
Looking past timber framed and rendered cottages on the Causeway towards the tower of St Mary's Church
John Gay Collection: Highgate and Hampstead
East Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire
Date created: 1973
Looking towards a junction on a village street, probably in East Hertfordshire, the surrounding buildings have rendered walls and plain tile roofs and...
John Gay Collection: Rural Life
Colliers End, East Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire
Date created: Early 1950s
A portrait of two competitors, one holding a trophy, with spectators behind at a ploughing match in Colliers End
John Gay Collection: Miscellaneous
East Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire
Date created: DEC 1960
A detail view within a domestic living room at Christmas, showing a child throwing a large round balloon into the air, with a dining table and chairs...
John Gay Collection: Counties
Ware, East Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire
Date created: 1955 - 1965
View of part of the River Lea Navigation channel in Ware, Hertfordshire, showing riverside buildings including one with a timber weatherboarded oriel...
John Laing Collection
Hunsdon, East Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire
Date created: 16 Jul 1987
D Reilly conducting the John Laing (Hendon) Ban in a marquee, during a Laing Senior Citizens Club visit to Hunsdon House
Nigel Temple Collection of Postcards of Parks and Gardens
East Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire
Date created: 1900 - 1930
VIEW SHOWING CASTLE GARDENS AND MOUND
Eric de Mare
Great Amwell, East Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire
Date created: 1945 - 1980
General view of the larger island below the church in Great Amwell with the monument to Sir Hugh Myddelton just visible.
John Laing Collection
Hunsdon, East Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire
Date created: 16 Jul 1987
Retired Laing employees dancing with partners in a marquee during a visit by the Laing Senior Citizens Club to Hunsdon House
Stories about heritage in East Hertfordshire
Historic England publishes news, blogs, videos and podcasts celebrating England's heritage. Discover the stories we have about East Hertfordshire.
Women Architects Who Helped Shape England
Mentions 102, Orchard Road
Women have always influenced domestic design but it wasn’t until 1898 that the first female architect was admitted to the Royal Institute of British...
An Introduction to Quaker Meeting Houses
Mentions Hertford Quaker Meeting House
The earliest Quaker meeting houses were distinctive for their simple, functional design; built by local craftsmen, they sit modestly in the landscape.
Grant to Rescue Historic Thundridge Church in Hertfordshire
Mentions Remains of Old Church of St Mary and All Saints
Historic England has awarded £72,533 in grant funding for essential works to the Old Church of St Mary and All Saints in Thundridge, Hertfordshire.
War Memorials Listed in the East of England
Mentions Hertford Heath War Memorial
4 First World War memorials in Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire have been listed at Grade II by DCMS on the advice of Historic England.
War Memorials Listed Ahead of Armistice Day
Mentions War Memorial at St Michael's Church, Hunsdon War Memorial, East Hertfordshire
First World War memorials in England have been listed ahead of Armistice Day. Many of them also commemorate those lost during the Second World War.
Explore your social history through photos
Over 10,000 images from the Historic England Archive have been specially selected and re-captioned for teachers, students, and anyone who wants to learn more about heritage in their local area.
Young girl kneeling on roadside
Period: 1950s (1950 - 1959)
Portrait of a girl holding a bunch of cowslips, kneeling on a roadside in East Hertfordshire
Young girl kneeling on roadside
Widford School, Ware Road, Widford, Hertfordshire
Period: Victorian (1837 - 1901)
This school was built in 1875-6. After the 1870 Education Act the small school from 1829 was considered to be "altogether unsuitable".
Widford School, Ware Road, Widford, Hertfordshire
Waytemore Castle, The Causeway, Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire
Period: Medieval (Middle Ages) (1066 - 1484)
These are the remains of a late 11th century motte and bailey castle. It is north of the town on the east bank of the River Stort.
Waytemore Castle, The Causeway, Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire
Ware, Hertfordshire
Period: 1960s (1960 - 1969)
View of an industrial river barge loaded with timber planks, moored on the RIver Lea Navigation channel in Ware, Hertfordshire, with riverside...
Ware, Hertfordshire
US servicemen at a ploughing match, Colliers End, Hertfordshire
Period: 1950s (1950 - 1959)
United States servicemen at a ploughing match in Colliers End.
US servicemen at a ploughing match, Colliers End, Hertfordshire
The Town House, Baldock Road, Cottered, Hertfordshire
Period: Georgian (1714 - 1836)
This block of 3 almshouses was built in 1767. They were built for Rev. Angel Chauncy.
The Town House, Baldock Road, Cottered, Hertfordshire
The Salisbury Arms Hotel, Fore Street, Hertford
Period: Medieval (Middle Ages) (1066 - 1484)
This building was recorded as The Bell Inn in 1431 but took its present name in circa 1800 when it was purchased by the Marquess of Salisbury.
The Salisbury Arms Hotel, Fore Street, Hertford
The Priory, High Street, Ware, Hertfordshire
Period: Medieval (Middle Ages) (1066 - 1484)
The name Priory is incorrect, it was originally a Friary. The building includes the remains of a Franciscan house (friary).
The Priory, High Street, Ware, Hertfordshire
Discover more Heritage nearby
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