Bovingdon

As early as 1943, the parish council discussed the issue of whether Bovingdon would continue as a village or develop into a commercial or industrial area. By 1945, preparations were in hand to ‘redevelop and enhance’ the village and to build new houses in the surrounding locality. A three-fold increase in the number of children attending the school demonstrated the need for these developments. It remains to be seen if the developers have ‘enhanced’ the beauty of Bovingdon.
An extract from from"Hertfordshire Living Memories".

The memorial was built in 1881 as a protection over the village well. The main benefactor was Granville Dudley Ryder. A few years later, piped water came to the villages and the well became redundant; by 1908 it had fallen into disrepair. Suggestions were made that it should be moved to another site or even demolished, but local opinion was opposed to any such possibilities. In 1949, a London Transport bus ran into the memorial and achieved the latter proposal. However, it was rebuilt in 1952 at a cost to LTE of £145. The Bell public house (right) dates from the 18th century. In the 1920s, Arthur Lake was the landlord - he was a familiar sight pushing his hand-cart from Hemel Hempstead, where he collected the spirits for sale at the Bell.
An extract from from"Hertfordshire Living Memories".

In the 18th century, during the coaching era, Berkhamsted’s strategic position on the old Akeman Street meant that the town became a staging post on the road from London to Aylesbury and the Midlands.
An extract from from"Berkhamsted - A History & Celebration".

For a number of years it had been suggested that Berkhamsted School and Berkhamsted Girls’ School should join together, to the benefit of the children from both schools. This had been resisted, especially by Girls’ School parents. In 1996 the two schools came together with the name of Berkhamsted Collegiate School, and Dr Priscilla Chadwick was appointed as first principal. Older residents still refer to the Castle Street and Kings Road campuses as the Boys’ and Girls’ Schools. For the greater part of the century the affairs of Berkhamsted had been governed by the Berkhamsted Urban District Council and the Berkhamsted Rural District Council; the former was based in the Civic Centre, opened in 1938, and the latter in Boxwell House. With the local government reorganisation in 1974 these bodies were dissolved, and Berkhamsted became part of Dacorum Council, based in Hemel Hempstead. At first Berkhamsted was left with only a parish council, but in 1976 this became a town council with the right to elect a mayor. This government from Hemel Hempstead has been resented by many in Berkhamsted, which jealously guards its identity, and many of the ills of the latter years have been placed, rightly or wrongly, at the doors of Dacorum Borough Council. This independent spirit was further shown when a group of local citizens, feeling that the existing Town Council did not represent the wishes of the people of Berkhamsted, swept to victory in the 1995 elections under the banner of ‘Berkhamsted First’, taking the majority of the fifteen seats. Lack of experience meant that their control of the council was short- lived, but it was a rude awakening for several long-standing councillors.
An extract from from"Berkhamsted - A History & Celebration".

We are approaching the town centre. On the left is the Swan Inn, on the right is Graball Row. as to make it easier to carry away stone from the castle. In 1580 Elizabeth had leased Carey the Manor of Berkhamsted, which included the ruined castle and the deer park, at the nominal rent of one red rose. Sir Edward never lived in his new house in Berkhamsted, preferring to live in Aldenham, so the house was let to his brother Sir Adolphus Carey and later to his son. We cannot leave Berkhamsted Place without mentioning the Great Barn at Castle Hill Farm, the home farm of Berkhamsted Place. The barn, probably 16th-century or earlier, is a weather-boarded building with timber framing - much of this original framing survives. In recent years its condition has deteriorated, but plans are afoot to convert it into housing.
An extract from from"Berkhamsted - A History & Celebration".