Hunton Bridge

Hunton Bridge
Hertfordshire
The canal at Hunton Bridge
Location
Grid reference:	TL067030
Location:	51°41’37"N, 0°26’4"W
Data
Population:	327  (1991)
Post town:	Kings Langley
Postcode:	WD4
Dialling code:	01923
Local Government
Council:	Three Rivers
Parliamentary constituency:	Hemel Hempstead

Hunton Bridge is a small village in Hertfordshire standing by the Grand Union Canal near Abbots Langley. Its population in the 1991 census was 327. It is however now become contiguous with the houses of Abbotts Langley, whose town centre is up the hill to the north.

The period of Hunton Bridge's greatest prosperity was 1810-26 when the Sparrows Herne turnpike ran through the village. Prior to that date the turnpike had run along Gypsy Lane and Upper Highway. In 1810 it was rerouted along Old Mill Lane to the village, and up the hill to reconnect with Upper Highway. By 1826 the presence of the canal, and the works associated with it had dried out the bottom land sufficiently for the turnpike to be rerouted along what is now the A41 avoiding the climb up Hunton Bridge Hill.

Today the village finds itself situated between the M25 motorway and a spur of the motorway leading to Watford. The A41 trunk road runs just west of the village.

Parish church

The parish church serving Hunton Bridge is not in Hunton Bridge itself but is St Paul’s, langleybury, separated from Hunton Bridge only by the dual carriageway of the A41 out of Watford. The parish covers Hunton Bridge, a slice of Leavesden and the wide farms of Langleybury to the west.

With every appearance of an ancient church, St Paul’s Church was built in 1864 by William Jones Loyd who lived in Langleybury House (now Langleybury School). The architect was Henry Woodyer who designed the church in the Early English Decorated Gothic Style. It is built of bath stone, topped with a 130-foot spire tiled with oak shingle.

History

Public Houses

Hunton Bridge currently has three public houses. It used to have five, having lost the Maltsters Arms in 1963, and the Farriers Arms in 1965.

The remaining pubs are:

• The Waterside Tavern (formerly the Kings Head), a 300 year old Grade II listed building. In the years when the turnpike ran through Hunton Bridge it served as a coaching inn.
• The Kings Lodge, which was built in 1642 as a hunting lodge for King Charles I.
• The Dog and Partridge on Old Mill Road.

Other buildings

1 Bridge Road is the last remaining building of the canal wharf complex built here. The land adjacent to the Grand Union Canal and to the north of Bridge Road was in industrial use from the opening of the canal. A coal wharf known as Hunton Bridge Wharf was established approximately 100 years after the opening, consisting of a tramway, warehouse and manager's dwelling. Only the cottage remains, at 1 Bridge Road.

The Old School House is a fine brick-built early Georgian building. It was built in the late 1720’s, replacing an earlier school house. Subsequent changes were made during the 1800’s such as the addition of the library joining the main house to the servant wing.

Hunton Canal Bridge replaces an earlier bridge demolished in 1932. The replacement bridge is an ornate reinforced concrete skew arch. The structure includes an ornate cornice to the parapet and balustrades. The existing western edge beam was demolished in 1983 due to a vehicle impact. The structure was Grade II listed in 1985.

Pictures

• 
  Kings Head 2008
• 
  1 Bridge Road 1999
• 
  Hunton Bridge filling station

Outside links

("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Hunton Bridge)

• St Paul’s Church, Langleybury]