Buntingford
| Buntingford | |
| Hertfordshire | |
|---|---|
 Buntingford | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | TL363292 |
| Location: | 51°56’40"N, 0°-0’58"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 4,820 (2001) |
| Post town: | Buntingford |
| Postcode: | SG9 |
| Dialling code: | 01763 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | East Hertfordshire |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
North East Hertfordshire |
Buntingford is a small market town in Hertfordshire. It stands on the River Rib and on the Roman road Ermine Street; now the A10.
As a result of its location, Buntingford grew mainly as a staging post with many coaching inns and has an 18th-century one cell prison known as 'The Cage' by the ford at the end of Church Street.
The Greenwich Meridian passes to the east of Buntingford.
The town has a large number of Georgian and mediæval buildings, such as Buntingford almshouses, Buntingford Manor House and the Red House.
Buntingford was a coaching stop on what was the main route between London and Cambridge, now the A10. Due to its desirability as a commuter town in recent years, the town has grown considerably in the past few decades, the most noticeable recent addition being the 'Bovis Estate' (circa 1990), informally named after the housing firm that constructed there. The town also has a Sainsburys depot.
The name of the town is believed to originate from the name of Saxon chieftain or landloewner named Bunta, who is otherwise unknown.
Churches
Buntingford was traditionally located within the parish of Layston - St Bartholemew's Church (Layston) is now derelict and lies about a half a mile to the north-east of the town. St Peter's Church, formerly a chapel of ease, is the Anglican church in Buntingford and is an almost unique brick building from the age of the 17th-century Puritans.
- Church of England: St Peter's
- United Reformed Church: Christ Church
- Roman Catholic: St Richard of Chichester
About the village
Market day is Monday, and early closing Wednesday. The Buntingford Carnival is held every other year. There is also a classic car event held in the town each year, usually in the early autumn
The town has an annual firework display at The Bury.
Buntingford railway station, opened in 1863, was closed in 1964[1] under the Beeching cuts. This was located as the terminus for the Buntingford Branch Line. Recently it has been redeveloped into housing.
Inns
Apparently Queen Elizabeth I stayed at Buntingford in a building now called the Bell House Gallery, on a coach journey to Cambridge. Just up the High Street, The Angel Inn (Now a Dental surgery) was a staging post catering for coaches travelling from London to Cambridge.
The town has a number of public houses ('pubs') - The Brambles (formerly The Chequers,) The Fox and Duck, The Black Bull, The Crown and The Jolly Sailors.
Outside links
- Buntingford Town Council
- Unofficial website
- Buntingford Civic Society
- Buntingford Dramatic Society
- Buntingford Cougars Youth Football Club
- Buntingford Chamber of Commerce
References
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Buntingford) |