Walkern
Walkern maps (2 available)
Map of Hertfordshire
Beautifully hand-drawn and coloured, dating from around 1840
See this old map of Hertfordshire
Personalised maps
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Walkern books (12 available)
Bishop's Stortford Town Walk Guide
Paperback
- 3 photos on Walkern appear in 2 Frith books - View photos of Walkern
- Read extracts and see photos from these books on Walkern and Hertfordshire
Walkern memories
Read and share memories of Walkern and Hertfordshire inspired by Frith photos
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You can also read memories of nearby places in Hertfordshire below.
Hertfordshire memories
Childhood Memories
I remember when I was just a young teenager... you could roam around the village and just about everyone knew you.
I loved to wander down to Mill Stream Lane with my jam jar and fishing net and walk along the stream searching for stickle backs and anything else I could catch. The fields behind us would whisper in the breeze and the sunlight would filter through the trees and glisten on the water below. Life was not so demanding, not worried too much about stranger danger and you knew that you was nestled in a village that looked after its own.
I remember old "Snowy" who had worked for years in the local butchers shop.
I remember Mr ...read more here
A memory of Watton At Stone contributed by JOY ABBATO
The Bell Hotel, Hare Street, Buntingford
I have recently discovered that my Great Grandfather John Main originally from Devon (a shoe maker) and then in Brixton, London as a Dairy Manager owned the Bell Hotel in Hare Street around 1905.
My Grandmother lived there as a little girl and would often tell us stories as children about how it was haunted and about secret panels etc and of an old huntsman who would sit on the garden wall!
I have several old postcards of it and the Street. He was still there in 1916 when my Grandmother married and I think on into the 1920s.
I just wondered if The Bell was still there?
A memory of Buntingford contributed by Judith Irwin
Letchworth Childhood
Seeing the fountain in this picture brings back childhood memories from the 1950/60s of sailing boats up and down the paddling pool at weekends or when your parents took you down on a sunny afternoon. Summer fetes and funfair on the grass area between the paddling pool and Norton Way South, last but not least playing in the small wood behind the paddling pool before the Council cut it down and spoilt it!
A memory of Letchworth Garden City contributed by Ian Griffin
Man in Picture 1965
The white-haired man in the photograph, I believe, is my father John Neville. He was a police sergeant in Hitchin from 1941 until his retirement in the late '50s.
A memory of Hitchin contributed by John Neville
Extracts From Walkern & Hertfordshire books
The River Beane runs close to the church, and is liable to heavy flooding. The church stands on a slight mound to the north-east where it is safe from damage, although photographs of flooding show water lapping up against the path leading to the south porch. In 1340 an outbreak of 'murrain', possibly anthrax, made farming impossible and left large areas of land unploughed. Seven years later, the Black Death reached England, and many local people lie buried in the churchyard, victims of this tragic plague. Another tragic figure in the history of Walkern was Jane Wenham, said to be the last woman in England to be prosecuted as a witch.
An extract from from"North and East Hertfordshire Photographic Memories".
Although in 1960 Walkern was a peaceful village, its history included many scenes of violence. During the Civil War, the rector, John Gorsuch, was smothered in a haystack by two of Cromwell’s supporters. Later on, in 1728, when returning from the market at Hertford, Thomas Adams was violently murdered in the High Street.
An extract from from"Hertfordshire Living Memories".
The White Lion, one of many public houses in the village, was called the Rose and Crown in 1766, when it formed part of a marriage settlement between Mary Field and John Smith of Hitchin. Although the marriage settlement is the earliest mention of the house, much of the building dates from the 16th century. Around 1800 the name changed to the White Lion. Walkern was well-known for its production of alcoholic and soft drinks. In 1870 the Wright family took advantage of a deep spring well for brewing. They turned to cider in 1924 - the only cider makers in Hertfordshire. By 1955 they made only soft drinks, and they closed in 1980; the factory, at the south end of the village, is now housing.
An extract from from"North and East Hertfordshire Photographic Memories".
Walkern was the home of Joan Wenham, one of the last witches to be prosecuted in England. There are many accounts of the case, but one interesting version says that it hinged on her ability to fly. The judge dismissed the charge of witchcraft, and challenged anybody to prove that flying was illegal. Eventually, Joan went to live at Gilston and died at Hertingfordbury in 1730.
An extract from from"Hertfordshire Living Memories".
Beecroft Lane runs opposite the lane that leads to the church at Church End. In 1410, the rector of Walkern had his hive of bees stolen, along with the honey, by one John Coke - it is said that the hives were kept in Beecroft Lane. Note the Wealden-style house next to the lane, and the interesting country petrol station preparing to serve the visiting Austin. The building is typical of the old coach-building businesses that became garages when motor cars began to replace horse power.
An extract from from"North and East Hertfordshire Photographic Memories".