Гертфорд: История и современность английского города

County town in England

Hertford ('/h//ɑːr//t//f//ər//d/ HARTfərd) is the county town of Hertfordshire, England, and is also a civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district of the county. The parish had a population of 26,783 at the 2011 census. The town grew around a ford on the River Lea, near its confluences with the rivers Mimram, Beane, and Rib. The Lea is navigable from the Thames up to Hertford. Fortified settlements were established on each side of the ford at Hertford in 913AD. The county of Hertfordshire was established at a similar time, being named after and administered from Hertford. Hertford Castle was built shortly after the Norman Conquest in 1066 and remained a royal residence until the early seventeenth century. Hertfordshire County Council and East Hertfordshire District Council both have their main offices in the town and are major local employers, as is McMullen's Brewery, which has been based in the town since 1827. The town is also popular with commuters, being only north of central London and connected to it by two railway lines.

The earliest reference to the town appears in the Ecclesiastical History of the English People, written by Bede in 731 AD, which refers to Herutford. Herut is the Old English spelling of hart, meaning a fully mature stag; thus the meaning of the name is a ford where harts are found. The Domesday Book of 1086 gives a spelling of Hertforde.

One possible earlier mention of the town was in 672 AD: the first synod of a number of the bishops in England was held either in Hertford or at Hartford, Cambridgeshire. The synod was called by Theodore of Tarsus; decisions included the calculation of the date of Easter. The Anglo Saxon Chronicle records that in 913AD, Edward the Elder ordered the construction of two burhs (earthwork fortifications) either side of the ford over the River Lea at Hertford as part of his campaign against the Danes. whilst Williamson (2000) gives it as 912. Ingram (1823), Giles (1847), Thorpe (1861) and Rook (1997) agree on 913. Page (1912) uses "about 913". All derive their view from different interpretations and translations of the various surviving versions (A to F) of the Anglo Saxon Chronicle:
Text A (Winchester) gives the year (in Roman numerals) as 913, but several dates around this section seem to have been adjusted later, and it appears that the year was originally written as 912. The numerals for 914 to 916 also appear in the margin alongside the entry concerning Hertford. Text B (Abingdon I) does not date the years around this time, but the text clearly marks the start of the entry for each year. A later hand has added dates in the margin, assigning 913 to the entry concerning Hertford. Texts C (Abingdon II) and D (Worcester) both unambiguously assign the year 913 to the Hertford entry. Texts E (Peterborough) and F (Canterbury) both have gaps for the years around this time. The four texts which mention the fortification of Hertford agree that the northern burh was founded around St. Martin's Day (or Martinmas), and the southern burh built between the following rogationtide and midsummer. All four texts present these events within a single paragraph, without indicating that a new year has started. Some sources take this to mean that the northern burh was built around the feast of St Martin of Tours on 11 November and the southern burh in the spring of the following year. Thorpe (1861) proposed that the St Martin's Day in question was more likely to be 14 April, which was formerly marked as the anniversary of St Martin the Confessor, which would place the construction of the northern burh around April and the southern burh in May and June of the same year. King Henry II rebuilt the castle in stone, but in 1216, during the First Barons' War, it was besieged and captured after 25 days by Prince Louis of France. The castle was regularly visited by English royalty and in 1358, Queen Isabella, wife of Edward II, died there. The priory was dissolved in 1536 and subsequently demolished The Port Hill drill hall was completed in 1898 and Yeomanry House was brought into military use in 1910. Hartford, Connecticut is named after Hertford.

Hertford has three tiers of local government at parish (town), district, and county level: Hertford Town Council, East Hertfordshire District Council, and Hertfordshire County Council, all three of which are based in the town. Hertford has been the county town of Hertfordshire since the county was founded in Saxon times. The town also gave its name to the hundred of Hertford. The town was initially governed by the king's reeves. By the thirteenth century, the reeves had been replaced by a bailiff, elected by the burgesses. Charters of 1554 and 1589 established a common council of eleven chief burgesses and a bailiff. Another charter of 1605 changed the bailiff's title to mayor. Under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835, Hertford became a Municipal borough; the ratepayers elected twelve councillors, who chose four aldermen, with the aldermen and councillors together composing the council (also known as the corporation), which elected the mayor. Hertford Corporation used part of the Shire Hall as a Town Hall until 1911, when it moved into the surviving gatehouse of Hertford Castle. Under the Local Government Act 1972, Hertford Municipal Borough was abolished, merging with other districts to become part of the district of East Hertfordshire with effect from 1 April 1974. A successor parish was created covering the former borough of Hertford, with its parish council taking the name Hertford Town Council. The town council is based at the former offices of the borough corporation at Hertford Castle. The headquarters of Hertfordshire County Council is at County Hall, built in 1939 to replace the Shire Hall. East Hertfordshire District Council's offices almost adjoin County Hall, being at Wallfields, which prior to 1974 had been the offices of Hertford Rural District Council.

From at least 1634, Hertford Corporation used an escutcheon (shield) depicting a hart above water to indicate a ford. The borough council was granted the right to complement its arms with a badge in 1925, and supporters were added in 1937. The coat of arms is now used by Hertford Town Council.

A fair amount of employment in the town is centred on County Hall (Hertfordshire County Council), Wallfields (East Hertfordshire District Council) and McMullens Brewery, one of a dwindling number of independent pre 1970 family brewers in the United Kingdom. Many residents commute to work in London. Hertford differs from neighbouring towns as it lacks a modern shopping development (mall). However, it has most of the usual supermarkets. A Tesco store occupies part of the former Christ's Hospital Bluecoat Girls School, which closed down in 1985. Sainsbury's opened a new store on part of the McMullens Brewery site in June 2012. A Waitrose occupied a reasonably large store in the Bircherley Green Shopping area that closed on 12 September 2017. The local branch of Woolworths closed for good on 27 December 2008, after the collapse of that store chain. There are fewer of the usual chain shops found in most high streets and this makes Hertford stand out from other "clone towns". There are a high number of independent shops in the town, with a variety of boutiques and salons.

Hertford has a leisure centre and swimming pool, skatepark, bowling green and tennis courts on Hartham Common.

The town has a Non League football club, Hertford Town F. C., which plays at Hertingfordbury Park. Hertford Town Youth FC, a FA Charter Standard Football Club, plays at County Hall Playing Fields, situated next to the headquarters of Hertfordshire County Council at County Hall in Hertford. Other clubs in the surrounding area include Bury Rangers, Hertford Heath Youth FC and Bengeo Tigers Football Club (an award winning FA Charter Standard Community Football Club.)

Hertford Cricket Club is based in the town. Records for a Hertford club go back a far as 1825,. However, the club in its present form has been in existence since 1860. The club plays its matches at Balls park, Hertford. Currently the club runs five teams and all the teams play in the local league.

In the town are the remains of the original Hertford Castle, principally a motte. The castle's gatehouse, the central part of which dates to a rebuild by Edward IV in 1463, is the home to Hertford Town Council. The Motte, from the original Motte and Bailey castle in Hertford, can be found just behind Castle Hall, a short distance from the modern castle. There are several churches in the town. All Saints' and St Andrew's are late and mid 19th century respectively, although both stand on the sites of medieval places of worship. In the northern suburb of Bengeo lies St Leonard's, a two celled Norman church of considerable architectural interest. In Railway Street can be found the oldest purpose built Quaker Meeting House in the world, in use since 1670. The Parliament of England temporarily moved to Hertford during a plague outbreak in London in 1563. This is why the main square in the town, Parliament Square, is so named, although it is a twentieth century creation. The home of Alfred Russel Wallace (see above), now named Wallace House, can be found at 11 St. Andrew St. and is marked with a plaque. Built in 1779, the Shire Hall was designed by Robert Adam. The ground floor houses Court Rooms. The Corn Exchange was built on the site of a former gaol. After years in the doldrums it is now a live entertainment venue. The Egyptian House in Fore Street, built c. 1824, is an early example of Egyptian revival architecture. It was a grocery store from the Victorian era until the 1960s, and is currently a restaurant. In Cowbridge, there is a Prince Albert Cottage. The first of these cottages was originally built in Hyde Park by the Society for Improving the Condition of the Labouring Classes in 1851 at the time of the Great Exhibition. Prince Albert was involved in their design and financing. Hertford Museum is housed in a 17th century historic town house, with a Jacobean style knot garden. A stained glass window in St Andrew's Church is part of a fringe theory that links Hertford to the Knights Templar and the Holy Grail.

Two railway stations serve Hertford Hertford East and Hertford North. Transport for London Oyster cards are valid for payment and travel at both stations.

Hertford East is the north western terminus of the Hertford East Branch Line. Greater Anglia manages the station and operates trains between Hertford East and London Liverpool Street in the City of London. The Hertford East Branch Line along with the West Anglia Main Line provide the town with direct connections to Ware, Broxbourne, Cheshunt, Waltham Cross, Tottenham Hale and Hackney Downs. At Broxbourne the south eastern terminus of the branch line the West Anglia Main Line runs northbound towards Bishop's Stortford, Audley End and Cambridge.

Hertford North is on the Hertford Loop Line, a branch of the East Coast Main Line. Great Northern operates trains northbound towards Watton at Stone and Stevenage. Southbound, Great Northern trains run towards London Moorgate in the City through Enfield Chase, Alexandra Palace, Finsbury Park and Highbury and Islington. Some timetabled services run southbound into London King's Cross instead of Moorgate. North of Stevenage, trains run towards Hitchin, Peterborough, the North and Scotland, and towards Letchworth, Royston and Cambridge. South of Finsbury Park, services run towards King's Cross, London St Pancras, Farringdon, Gatwick Airport and Brighton. The A414 runs east west through Hertford, along Hertingfordbury Road, Gascoyne Way and London Road. The primary route runs eastbound towards the A10, Harlow, the M11 motorway, Chelmsford and Maldon. Westbound, the route carries traffic towards Hatfield, the A1(M) motorway, St Albans and Hemel Hempstead. The A119 runs eastbound from Hertford into Ware. The route runs northbound from Hertford towards Watton at Stone and the A602 for Stevenage.

National Cycle Route 61 runs east west through Hertford. Between Welwyn Garden City and Ware, through Hertford, the route is also known as Cole Green Way. The route's western terminus is near Taplow in Berkshire, near Slough and Maidenhead. To the east, NCR61 meets NCR1 near Hoddesdon. Hertford is the northern terminus of the Lee Navigation and the associated towpath, which carries NCR61 for part of its route. The towpath's southern terminus is in Limehouse, East London. The cycle route passes through Ware, Hoddesdon, Broxbourne, Enfield Lock, Tottenham, Leyton and Hackney Wick.

Hertford is the northern terminus of the navigable River Lea, which is managed by the Canal and River Trust. Southbound, the river runs towards Bromley by Bow in East London, through Ware, Hoddesdon, Broxbourne, Enfield Lock, Tottenham, Leyton and Hackney Wick. The river meets the navigable River Stort at Hoddesdon, which runs northbound through Harlow, Sawbridgeworth and Bishop's Stortford.

Secondary schools in Hertford include the Sele School, Richard Hale School and Simon Balle All through School (which also includes primary provision; other primary schools include Hollybush JMI, Millmead Community School, Bengeo Primary School, Morgans Primary School and Nursery, Abel Smith School (named after banker and MP Abel Smith (1788–1859)), St Andrew's School, St. Josephs RC School and Wheatcroft School. Private schools include St. Joseph's in the Park in Hertingfordbury, Duncombe School, (a preparatory school in Bengeo) and Haileybury College in Hertford Heath. Pinewood and Middleton Schools are special needs schools that are available in neighbouring Ware. Former schools include The Pines JMI School, which was built on the Pinehurst estate in 1977 and closed in 2003.

Hertford is within the BBC London and ITV London region. Television signals are received from the Crystal Palace TV transmitter and the local relay transmitter. Local radio stations are BBC Three Counties Radio on 90.4 FM and Heart Hertfordshire on 106.9 FM. Hertford's local newspaper is the Hertfordshire Mercury.

Hertford Theatre, previously known as Castle Hall, is a modern theatre, cinema and art gallery complex at The Wash in the town centre. The Hertford Corn Exchange is a building where entertainment such as comedy and art exhibitions take place. Hertford has many food, drink and entertainment establishments which have grown in number considerably since the eighties and nineties. It attracts people from nearby towns, and often the North London suburbs. There are approximately 25 pubs and clubs in the area, and around 35 restaurants, takeaways and snack bars. Hertford also benefits from public swimming pool and gym facilities and a small skatepark, all situated on Hartham Common.