Northchurch, Berkhamstead

 

Todays Blog is a bit purloined from Google, Cheers! 

I started watching a series on Prime, Sean Bean in The Frankenstein Chronicles.. and without giving spoilers I am presuming, hoping? Most people will have read the book, seen a movie or at the very least learnt about the story line at some point.. As although Mary Shelley's Frankenstein was a work of fiction... some aspects were far nearer the truth than we would wish! 

So! Googled 'body snatchers Northchurch' and amongst the information was this!

The Sparrows Herne Turnpike: The main road running through Northchurch (now the A41) was a primary coaching route directly into London.

Who knew!! Who?? I had lived pr worked, prior to moving to Spain, either on the A41 or very close to it, and never in my days did I ever learn of it's previous name..here and there of course, it is London Road, Tring Road ... Etc etc.. 

But, the length and breath of it, from Bushy Heath to Aylesbury!

Carry on reading.. this has got a bit mixed up with my intervention!

The most significant connection Northchurch has to the fear of grave robbing centers around its most famous historical resident: Peter the Wild Boy. Found feral in Germany in 1725, Peter was brought to England under the care of the Royal Court and spent his final decades living at Broadway Farm in Northchurch.When Peter died in 1785, the local community was highly aware of his national fame. Because medical anatomists and private collectors in London placed an incredibly high premium on "unusual" or distinct bodies for biological study, Peter's corpse was considered a prime target for resurrectionists.

While the graves were heavily guarded, Northchurch experienced other major historical crimes during the same era. Notably, in 1801, the notorious highwayman James Snooks (known as "Robber Snooks") robbed a mail boy near Bourne End in the parish of Northchurch. He became the last highwayman to be executed in England, and like the body-snatching trade, his exploits contributed heavily to the region's historical reputation for dark, late-night criminal activities.

The "Sparrows Hill" Turnpike, officially known as the Sparrows Herne Turnpike, was an 18th-century toll road connecting Bushey Heath to Aylesbury in England. Established in 1762, the 22-mile route now broadly corresponds to the modern-day A4251 and A41.

History & Development: The Sparrows Herne Turnpike Trust was established by an Act of Parliament in 1762 to collect tolls and fund the upkeep of the highway.Route: The route ran through Watford, King's Langley, Boxmoor, Hemel Hempstead, and Tring before reaching Aylesbury.

End of Operation: Tolls were ultimately abolished, and the Trust was dissolved in 1873.

Surviving Landmark Several original cast-iron turnpike milestones and markers still exist today. For example, the ⁠Historic England Sparrows Herne Trust Marker in Tring and the ⁠Berkhamsted Turnpike Marker are officially protected heritage sites.

My photographs, New Road in Northchurch at the top, followed by a view from above, of the Grand Union Canal beneath..

Then another view of the same Canal further along walking the tow path towards Dudswell.

Then St Mary's school, where it had been quite a family tradition to attend, my sons, myself, my mom from nine to fifteen, she was sailed over from America after her father died.. had he lived she was to attend the masonic school form girls in New York.. My grandmother and all her siblings etc etc etc!!

Next photograph is Ashlyns, my senior school and my son's.. and finally a view of Berkhamstead Castle..

Historically, the castle was home to a variety of prominent figures:1100s: Extensively rebuilt and expanded by Thomas Becket.1330s: Served as a favored home for Edward, the Black Prince, who frequently lived and hunted there

1400s: The castle passed to Cecily Neville, grandmother of two kings (Edward IV and Richard III), who ran a grand and orderly household there

The last royal resident to live in ⁠Berkhamsted Castle was Cecily Neville, Duchess of York, who occupied the castle until her death in 1495. Following her passing, the castle was abandoned as a royal residence and subsequently fell into ruin.

And that is the history lesson over with today!

M.

Over every mountain there is a path, although it may not be seen from the valley.

Theodore Roethke - 1908-1963 - Author