from
Topographical and Statistical Description of the County of Hertfordshire
by George Alexander Cooke
circa 1807

Returning to the turnpike road, we reach BERKHAMSTED, a small town, which consists chiefly of one street, extending for about half a mile along the road, from which a lesser one branches off near the church, towards the ruins of the castle; it is built of brick, without much attention having been paid to uniformity either in the height or in the architecture of the houses; some of which are extremely handsome, being the residence of families of respectability. This town is situated upon the great road leading from London to Aylesbury, and is distant about four miles south-east of Tring, four miles west of Hemel Hernpsted, nine miles west of St. Alban's, eleven miles north-west of Watford, and twenty-six miles north-west of London, Antiquarians are not agreed as to its origin, some asserting it to have been a Roman station, and, grounding their opinion upon the discovery of some Roman coins found in its vicinity, these antiquaries would make it out to be the site of the Durobrivæ of the Itinerary. Others, on the contrary, and with no small appearance of reason, argue from its name that this was a town of the Saxons, who called it from its situation Berghamstedt, or the town among the hills. Upon the north side of the town are the remains of an old Castle, which was very large and strong, having been surrounded by a moat that covers above four acres. Notwithstanding the dilapidated condition of the ruins, which still weather out the assaults of time, enough remains to testify its former impregnability and importance. The area included within the moat contains about eleven acres, and is nearly of an elliptical form; the ramparts are bold, and the moat in most places still deep and wide, especially to the north and east. Like the other fortresses of that age this seems to have consisted of three principal parts, an outer ballium, separated from the ditch by strong and inaccessible ramparts and divided from the inner ballium also by a deep ditch. In the inner ballium were the buildings designed for habitations, at present a mass of ruins; and in the centre of this, upon an artificial mount of considerable elevation, having its base defended by a deep fosse and its sides rendered steep and difficult of access, was the keep, which still remains, and appears to have been of a circular form. This castle was formerly a palace belonging to the kings of Mercia, and under its protection the town gradually increased in size and importance, insomuch that upon William's invasion from Normandy, this place was selected for the meeting between the Conqueror and the leading men of the party confederated against him.

Shortly after the conquest, William, forgetful of the solemn covenants of the treaty which he had so lately concluded, and to which "alone he was indebted for the peaceable submission of the nation to his authority, deprived the natives of their possessions, with which he enriched his Norman followers, and among others his own half-brother Robert Earl of Mortaigne, to whom he granted the castle and manor of Berkhamsted.

Upon coming into possession of this fortress Mortaigne enlarged it considerably, and strengthened it with additional fortifications; but shortly after his death its ramparts were demolished, and the whole structure, according to some writers, razed to the ground, in consequence of his son William's rebellion against Henry I. However, we find that in the reign of Henry II. this castle was again fitted up, and converted into a royal residence, being inhabited at different times by that monarch, from whom at these times the inhabitants of the honour of Wallingford and Berkhamsted St. Peter's obtained sundry important privileges. The Crown retained possession of this castle and honour until the year 1207, when, "with the knights fee thereunto belonging," they were granted by John to Jeoffrey Fitz-Piers, Earl of Essex, in fee-farm, at the annual rent of 100 1. This nobleman died in the year 1217, and the history of the castle is involved in much obscurity from that period during the space of about three years, when, it having again come into the possession of the Crown, was besieged by the Dauphin of France, whose assistance had been solicited by the Barons in their contest with the tyrant John. The castle was for some time gallantly defended, and during the siege the garrison was successful in two sallies made upon the same day; though unsubdued, it was however at length obliged to surrender, upon receiving orders from the King to that effect.

In the year 1228 the honour and castle of Berkhamsted were granted, in conjunction with the earldom of Cornwall, by Henry III. to his younger brother Richard, who was afterwards King of the Romans, and who had been of great service to him at the 5iege of the Castle of Riole in France.

Capricious however in disposition, and despotic in his dealings, Henry shortly after, upon some trifling quarrel with Richard, resumed the possession of Berkhamsted: which was however regranted to his brother in a little time, at the interposition of the Earls of Pembroke and Chester. In 1245 Henry granted the Earl of Cornwall the privilege of holding an annual fair during the space of eight days upon this manor. The earl died at his castle upon the 10th day of April 1272, and was succeeded by Edmund his son by his third wife Senchia; by him was founded a college of Bonhommes at Ashridge in the countv of Bucks, where he breathed his last upon the first of October 1300.

Upon the decease of this earl, his possessions at Berkhamsted and his earldom of Cornwall came once more into the possession of the crown, and were granted by Edward 1. to Piers Gaveston, who did not long however enjoy his dignities and possessions, having through his insolence brought himself to an early grave. From this time it passed through a variety of owners, and was held by various tenures, among which that by which Sir Edward Cary held it in the reign of Elizabeth, being the annual tribute of a red rose, was not perhaps the least remarkable. The recapitulation of its various masters would however be both tedious and unprofitable; suffice it therefore to say, in addition, that the manor at present belongs to the Prince of Wales, under whom it is helcl by John Roper, Esq. of Berkhamsted Place.

The parish Church of St. Peter's is a handsome gothic structure, built in the form of a cross; internally it is divided into a nave, chancel, and aisles; the nave and aisles are connected by six plain arches upon each side, springing from five whole and two half columns. From the intersection towards the west end the tower rises, being supported below by strong pointed arches. At its south-east corner is a projecting staircase, terminated by a turret. Upon the side of the tower next to the street is the representation of an angel, supporting a shield charged with the arms of England and France quartered together. In this church are several curious monuments. The living of Berkhamsted is in the gift of the King, and i6 estimated at 200 1. per annum.

The Free-school here is a strong brick edifice, situated at the bottom of the Church-yard; it was founded principally through the exertions of Dr. lncent, dean of St. Paul's during the reign of Henry VIII; who granted, as an endowment to it, the possessions of the fraternity of St. John the Baptist. It received further endowments in the following reign, being incorporated as a Royal foundation by the title of "The master, chaplain, and usher, of the free-school and chantry of Dean Incent, of Berkhamsted." The master has a handsome salary, and apartments at one end of the school-house, the right of appointment belongs to the king; the centre of the building is occupied by the school-room, and the other end by the apartments belonging to the chaplain and usher; The number of boys admitted upon the foundation is 144, it being required that all such are lawfully subjects of the king, and not the children of aliens; the building of the school-house occupied 20 years.

Beside the school just mentioned there is another, supported by voluntary contribution amongb the parishioners

There is an Alms-House endowed with 50 l. per annum for the relief of six poor widows; this was further enriched by the bequest of John Sayer, Esq in the year 1681.

The chief trade of Berkhamsted consists in the manufacture of wooden bowls, &c. a considerable quantity of frause-lace also is made here by the female inhabitants.

Once only. in the 14th year of the reign of Edward III do we find this town represented in parliament. It was incorporated by a charter from James I. about the year 1620; but this was lost in the troubles which followed during the distracted reign of his son Shortly after the Restoration, an ineffectual attempt was made to revive this charter, nor has the attempt been since hazarded.

The weekly market for corn, &c. is held upon Monday; three fairs upon Shrove Monday, Whit Monday, and St. James's Day, and a statute fair for hiring servants upon the day following Old Michaelmas day. The population of the parish of Berkhamsted amounts, according to the last returns, to 1690 inhabitants, and the number of houses to 338. The little river Bulbournc, accompanied by the Grand Junction Canal, washes the walls of the town upon the North.

Upon an agreeable eminence, close to the town is BERKHAMSTED PLACE, an irregular structure, built at different periods; at this house most of the children of James I. were nursed. It is at present the residence of John Roper, Esq. whom we have already noticed as holding the manor of Berkhamsted under the Prince of Wales.

Page created December 2008