This page last updated Friday, 30 April 2004

This initiative links with several other web initiatives of Peter Such promoting Berkhamsted:
The Canal Trail, The Graham Greene Trail and 'Seasonal Berkhamsted'

Part III—14–22

23. Early Victorian Bakery with fine ornamental brick and iron-work.

24. The Bourne School (223 High Street, Britannia Building Society). Founded in 1737 by London merchant Thomas Bourne, this was only the second school since Dean Incent founded [cf. 15] the grammar school (Berkhamsted School) nearly two centuries previously. This building is the 1854 rebuild by General John Finch. The three coats or arms are: Berkhamsted Town, Thomas Bourne and John Finch. This was the first building occupied by Berkhamsted School for Girls in 1888 [cf. 7 and Berkhamsted Collegiate School].

25. William Cowper's School was the middle house of three which have been made into a single shop and dates back to the early eighteenth century.

26. The Town Hall (built in 1859) is once more a central focus in community life, thanks to much hard work by many volunteers and the ably managed Town Hall Trust around which directly, or indirectly through other links, a variety of indoor and outdoor markets flourish. Views, inside and outside, of this Victorian building, designed by Edward Buckton Lamb in the gothic style are to be found on The Town Hall's own web site, where there are connecting links to the various High Street markets and other street scenes.

27. The Market Square was the town's ancient trading centre, built on stilts (20 huge oak post [Hastie] in typical sixteenth century style, the floor above housing the corn for sale, and providing some shelter underneath for other stall holders. When the Market House burned down in 1854 the Town Hall was built on the same principle, providing a 'covered' market on the ground floor (now Café Uno) and offices and public halls above.

 28. 'Grab-All Row' was the name given to the row of shops between the Market House and St Peter's church (opposite the row of three inns) which were built in the old market square. As mentioned with the Monks House, viniculture was a major Berkhamsted harvest which is mentioned in the Domesday Book. The picture below looks down the High Street with St. Peter's to the right, Dean Incent's house on the left and middle right 'Grab-All Row'.

29. The Court House is an Elizabethan hall where the town's corporation met after the town was granted its last charter in 1618. It now serves as the  parish hall to St Peter's and is
available for public hire. 'Grab-All Row' is the line of buildings starting from the building in the left of the picture back towards the Town hall and occupies the area that was once the town's market. There is a cobbled way in front of the Court House leading out of the picture left. This is variously called 'Back Lane' or 'Church Lane', dependent upon your personal experience and history of the town!

30. St. Peter's Church is one of the largest in Hertfordshire. Started in 1220, three architectural styles can be identified: Early English, Decorated and Perpendicular. For more than six centuries anyone dying in Berkhamsted was buried in the churchyard (which extends across the High Street up Three Close Lane, behind the Rex) and contains thousands of graves. The age of the yew tree is unknown. The church is a hive of activity, including choral and symphony concerts of a very high standard. Many of its activities can be gleaned from its website.

At the bottom of Chesham Road, looking across to St Peter', while the picture below shows the undated yew.

31. Berkhamsted (Collegiate) School.

32. Berkhamsted School Chapel.

The photographs on this site are copyright Peter Such 2004.
The text, John Cook (original material) and Peter Such (additional material) ©2004..