Hunton Bridge

Hunton Bridge, Abbots Langley
Hunton Bridge, Abbots Langley

 Hunton Bridge, Abbots Langley shown within Hertfordshire
Population 327 (Census 1991)
OS grid reference TL067030
District Three Rivers (district)
Shire county Hertfordshire
Region East
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town KINGS LANGLEY
Postcode district WD4
Dialling code 01923
Police Hertfordshire
Fire Hertfordshire
Ambulance East of England
EU Parliament East of England
UK Parliament Hemel Hempstead
List of places: UK • England • Hertfordshire

Hunton Bridge is a small settlement near Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire, England with a historic royal connection. Its population in the 1991 census was 327.[1]

Its period of greatest prosperity was 1810-26 when the Sparrows Herne turnpike ran through the village. Prior to that date the turnpike had run along Gypsy Lane and Upper Highway. In 1810 it was rerouted along Old Mill Lane to the village, and up the hill to reconnect with Upper Highway. By 1826 the presence of the canal, and the works associated with it had dried out the bottom land sufficiently for the turnpike to be rerouted along what is now the A41 avoiding the climb up Hunton Bridge Hill.

Today the village finds itself situated between the M25 London orbital motorway and a spur of the motorway leading to Watford. The A41 trunk road runs just west of the village. The Hunton Bridge filling station just off the Watford spur (Junction 19 of the M25) is a local landmark.

Contents

History

Public Houses Hunton Bridge currently has three public houses. It used to have five, having lost the Maltsters Arms in 1963, and the Farriers Arms in 1965.[2]

The remaining pubs are :

1 Bridge Road The land adjacent to the Grand Union Canal and to the north of Bridge Road was in industrial use from the opening of the canal. A coal wharf known as Hunton Bridge Wharf was established approximately 100 years after the opening, consisting of a tramway, warehouse and managers dwelling. Of these buildings only the cottage remains at 1 Bridge Road.

The Old School House The original house was demolished and replaced with the current fine brick early Georgian building which was built in the late 1720’s. Subsequent changes were made during the 1800’s such as the addition of the library joining the main house to the servant wing.

Hunton Canal Bridge The original structure was demolished in 1932 and replaced with an ornate reinforced concrete skew arch. The structure includes an ornate cornice to the parapet and ballustrades. The existing western edge beam was demolished in 1983 due to a vehicular impact with a new aluminium parapet. The structure was Grade II listed in 1985.

Images of Hunton Bridge
Hunton Bridge filling station  
Kings Head 2008  
1 Bridge Road 1999  
The Old School House 1999  

Planning History

On the 28th June 1984, Three Rivers District Council Planning Committee resolved that an area of Hunton Bridge, should be designated as a Conservation Area, and subsequently extended in 1990 in terms of the Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.

Listed buildings within the boundary include

Grade II* Listed

Grade II Listed

Locally Important Buildings

Ordnance Survey Maps

In the gallery below are Ordnance Survey maps of Hunton Bridge.

Ordnance Survey Maps
Map from 1873-1874  
Map from 1898  

References

  1. ^ "Fact file: Hunton Bridge". http://www.hertfordshire.com/pages/towns/show-data.asp?id=327. Retrieved 2007-10-18. 
  2. ^ Hastie, Scott. A Hertfordshire Valley.. Kings Langley: Alpine Press. p. 96. ISBN 0952863103. 

See also

External links

Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Hunton_Bridge Hunton Bridge] at Wikimedia Commons