Bishop's Stortford

Bishop's Stortford

Looking down Windhill towards the town centre
Bishop's Stortford
 Bishop's Stortford shown within Hertfordshire
Population 38,202 (2010)
OS grid referenceTL495215
Civil parishBishop's Stortford
DistrictEast Hertfordshire
Shire countyHertfordshire
RegionEast
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post town BISHOP'S STORTFORD
Postcode district CM23
Dialling code 01279
Police Hertfordshire
Fire Hertfordshire
Ambulance East of England
EU Parliament East of England
UK ParliamentHertford and Stortford
List of places
UK
England
Hertfordshire

Coordinates: 51°52′19″N 0°10′21″E / 51.8720°N 0.1725°E / 51.8720; 0.1725

Bishop's Stortford is a historic market town and civil parish in the district of East Hertfordshire in the county of Hertfordshire in England. It is just west of the M11 motorway on the county boundary with Essex, and is the closest large town to London Stansted Airport in the London commuter belt. Bishop's Stortford is 27 miles (43 km)[1] north east of Charing Cross in central London and 35 miles (56 km) from Liverpool Street station, the London terminus of the line to Cambridge that runs through the town. Bishop's Stortford has a population of 38,202.

History

Nothing of significance is known of the Bishop's Stortford area until it became a small Roman settlement on the Roman road of Stane Street between Braughing and Colchester. After the Roman Empire broke down, the settlement was abandoned in the 5th century.

A new Saxon settlement grew up on the site, named Steort-ford, meaning "tail ford", "ford at tongues of land". In 1060, William, Bishop of London, bought the Stortford manor and estate for eight pounds, leading to the town's modern name.

At the time of the Domesday Book the town had a population of around 120 inhabitants. The Normans built the motte-and-bailey wooden castle that is known as Waytemore Castle, but by the Tudor period it was in ruins (the mound still remains).

Only the font survives from the Norman church of St Michael's, which was rebuilt in the early 15th century and altered and restored in the 17th and 19th centuries. Its belfry and spire which dominates the town and surrounding countryside were built in 1812.

Despite outbreaks of the plague in the 16th and 17th centuries, the town continued to grow, with an approximate population of 1,200 by this point.

The River Stort is named after the town, and not the town after the river. When cartographers visited the town in the 16th century, they reasoned that the town must have been named for the ford over the river and assumed the river was called the Stort.[2]

After 1769, the River Stort was made navigable, and the town became a stagecoach stop on the mail coach road between Cambridge and London.

The Corn Exchange

By 1801, Bishop's Stortford was a market town, and a corn exchange had been established, while the main industry was malting. In 1842 the railway came to Bishop's Stortford; another introduction in the Victorian era was the opening of a hospital, in 1895.

In 1901 the population was more than 7,000. The 1901 house known as Carfield Castle was used as an officers' billet in World War I.[3]

During World War II, Bishop's Stortford was the evacuation centre for many Britons, including Clapton Girls Technology College. By 1951, Bishop's Stortford's population had expanded to 13,000. Throughout the second half of the 20th century, Bishop's Stortford has seen further growth since it became a commuter town. The M11 motorway, Stansted Airport, and rail links to London and Cambridge have contributed to the growth of its population to around 35,000, as of the 2001 national census, and future growth is expected to increase the population to 45,000.

Bishop's Stortford has six suburbs: Thorley, Thorley Park, Havers, Bishop's Park, St Michael's Mead and Hockerill. Hockerill is in a separate ecclesiastical parish comprising the area east of the River Stort, centred around the old coaching inns and All Saints' Church in Stansted Road and Bishop's Stortford Railway Station. Post-war development has enlarged the area to include the Parsonage Lane, Snowley and Collins Cross, and the Herts and Essex Hospital. Little Hallingbury and Takeley are within the ambit of Bishop's Stortford; they are in Essex not Hertfordshire.

Notable events

In March and April 1825, a number of buildings in Bishop's Stortford were set alight and caused great alarm in the town. A committee was formed and a £500 reward offered for information on the arsonist. Soon a number of threatening letters were received, warning in part that "Stortford shall be laid in ashes".[4] Thomas Rees was arrested and found guilty on the charge of sending the letters, but not of arson. He was transported to Australia as a convict.

In 1935 the parish church of All Saints' Hockerill was destroyed by fire, and in 1937 a new church, to a spacious, light and airy design by the architect Stephen Dykes Bower, was erected in its place. It is a Grade II listed building and the tower dominates the eastern skyline of Bishop's Stortford. The building contains a notable rose window designed by Hugh Ray Easton and a two-manual Henry Willis II organ; it is a popular venue for concerts.

On 15 November 1966 Harry Roberts was arrested in a wooded area within the abandoned RAF Sawbridgeworth at nearby Thorley whilst on the run from the police following the shooting of three policemen in London. He was taken to Bishop's Stortford police station where he was charged and later moved to London. He was found guilty and sentenced to 30 years in prison.

On 28 August 2007, two men and a teenager were shot dead at Plaw Hatch Close in Bishop's Stortford. Two women were seriously injured in the attack that was around 9:35 pm. The men killed were named as Keith Cowell, 52, and his son Matthew, 17, who died alongside 33-year-old Tony Dulieu of Billericay. Keith Cowell's wife, Nicole, had left for work at Stansted Airport 10 minutes before the attack. A three-year-old girl called 'Angel' was thought to have been in the house at the time of the shooting. Chief Superintendent Al Thomas of the Hertfordshire Police said, "We share the concern and sense of shock within the community. Early information suggests this was a targeted incident and not a random attack." Police presence was dramatically increased after the incident in and around the town. However, crime rates in the town are well below the national average.[5][6]

In November 2011, by means of a single-page letter, the town council gave notice that with effect from September 2012 they would end their 46-year-old twin town status with Villiers-sur-Marne in France and Friedberg, Hesse, in Germany.[7][8]

Castle Mound

Main article: Waytemore Castle

Waytemore Castle began as a motte and bailey castle in the time of William the Conqueror. A rectangular great tower was added on the motte in the 12th century. It was improved in the 13th century during the reign of King John and a licence to crenellate was granted in the mid 14th century. It was slighted after the Civil War. In the 17th century it was used as a prison.

Only earthworks, the large motte and foundations of a square tower can now be seen.

Demography

Redevelopment

The town centre recently underwent many changes, with the demolition of the old multi-storey car park and surrounding area to make way for a new town centre area and the building of new city-type apartments and penthouses on the riverside and around the town centre. Jackson Square (a modern shopping complex) was rebuilt and an extension added with many cafes, bars and shops. Also, the Havers estate (an outer part of Bishop's Stortford) is being redeveloped with new houses and flats. There are many plans for further expansion and development of the town due to its continued growth and the close proximity of Stansted Airport.

Bishop's Stortford is useful for a large number of Herts and Essex villages in its area, as most of the nearby towns (excluding Harlow) are small and Bishop's Stortford serves as a centre for meeting, shopping, and entertainment.

Rhodes Arts Complex

Rhodes Arts Complex theatre and museum

The Rhodes Arts Complex is a state-of-the-art venue which incorporates a theatre, cinema, dance studio and conference facilities. Situated within the complex, in the house where Cecil Rhodes was born, is the Bishop's Stortford Museum. It has a local history collection, a unique collection relating to Rhodes and the British Empire in Africa as well as its temporary exhibition gallery.[9]

Politics

In the 2010 national elections Mark Prisk was elected for the Conservative Party to Bishop's Stortford's constituency, Hertford and Stortford, with a majority of the votes cast (53.8%). The constituency covers many other settlements, including Hertford. Caroline Spelman, the Conservative Cabinet Minister, is from the town.

A controversial political issue for the town relates to the expansion of Stansted Airport. A protest group called Stop Stansted Expansion opposes growth at the airport and plans for a second runway.

The town has a Youth Council made up of students from the local schools, but the Town Council is said to be "reviewing [its] operation in relation to its responsibilities."[10]

The International Monarchist League is based here. The loosely associated Constitutional Monarchy Association operates from the same address.[11]

In December 2011 the Conservative council of Bishop's Stortford voted 13 to 3 in favour of cancelling its twinned status with Friedberg in der Wetterau in Germany and Villiers-sur-Marne in France. It is thought that anti-EU sentiment within the grassroots Tory party was behind the vote.[12]

Economy and business

Bishop's Stortford is a particularly affluent area, partly due to the town's status as a commuter town for the (mainly financial) workers in London. The town is also home to many people working in the tourist industry, including hotels, catering and airline staff, because it is the closest large town to Stansted Airport. In total, about 85% work in the services sector (2001 census). Bishop's Stortford is served by a variety of shops, both high street chains and long-established family firms. The main retail streets are South, Potter, North and Hockerill streets. There is a modern shopping complex called Jackson Square. Market days are Thursday and Saturday, which consist of a selection of stalls with a variety of goods including bags and luggage, flowers, cards and clothing.

Bishop's Stortford Chamber of Commerce is the town’s largest business organisation. It actively champions local projects and interests at local, regional and government level. Business Stortford is an initiative set up to showcase the town's unique location and encourage companies from the UK, Europe and beyond to relocate or expand their operations in the area. It is targeting European businesses seeking a base in the UK, international companies wanting a well-connected location in Europe and UK firms looking for first-class air transport links to Europe. Business Stortford is backed by Bishop's Stortford Chamber of Commerce and supported by the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

Transport and services

Bishop's Stortford owes its continued growth to developments in transport. It is well serviced by all forms of transport:

Abellio Greater Anglia train, in the previous 'one' livery, that serves Bishop's Stortford

Bishop's Stortford station is on the London Liverpool Street to Cambridge main line operated by Abellio Greater Anglia. The Stansted Express services take around 25 minutes to reach Tottenham Hale and 40 minutes to reach London Liverpool Street and allow Bishop's Stortford to be part of the London Commuter Belt. Epping tube station is about 12 miles (19 km) away from Bishop's Stortford which means some residents use the London Underground station rather than the main line station at Bishop's Stortford.

Bishop's Stortford is close to junction 8 of the M11 motorway, which runs from London and the M25 north to Cambridge, and the town is a frequent stop-off point for travellers using the nearby Stansted Airport. To the north of the town is the A120, which meets the A10 at Buntingford to the west and the A12 at Colchester to the east.

Stansted Airport is on the town's doorstep, with easy transport via rail or bus between there and the town. This airport is mainly used for flights to Europe and is the third largest airport serving London.

The town has many bus routes, including the 308 main bus route for travel within Bishop's Stortford and to Stansted Airport. Other, longer routes like the 510 (Stansted Airport – Harlow) link Bishop's Stortford with other nearby towns, and several services exist to connect the plethora of nearby villages to the town.

Notable people

Cecil Rhodes

Arts and media

Religion

Science

Politics

Sport

Education

Hertfordshire County Council is responsible for education. Bishop's Stortford follows the English schools model of primary school, secondary school, and further education college. There are 13 primary and 5 secondary schools (two of which are single sex). The town does not have any further education colleges for post-16 education, as all schools in Hertfordshire have sixth forms.

There is also an independent school, the Bishop's Stortford College, which covers the whole educational spectrum from ages 4 to 18.

Many of the secondary schools in the Bishop's Stortford area have gained special college status, variously for technology, sciences, languages, music or performing arts. Secondary schools include St Mary's Catholic School, Birchwood High School, Hockerill Anglo-European College, the Bishop's Stortford High School (commonly referred to as the "Boys' High") and The Hertfordshire and Essex High School (commonly referred to as 'Herts and Essex'). The latter two schools are single-sex schools, for boys and girls respectively, although both have mixed-sex sixth-forms.

In July 2008, Herts and Essex High School and Bishop's Stortford High School submitted a planning application to merge to a single site funded by the building of new residential estates on their existing land. This met with vigorous opposition, most notably from the Bishop's Stortford Civic Federation. Over 930 letters of objection were received, and eventually the plan collapsed in September 2009 just prior to the planning hearing when the schools withdrew their application.[22]

Education Charity Inclusion Trust is based in Bishop's Stortford.

Leisure and entertainment

Sports

Bishop's Stortford has many sports facilities, including the Grange Paddocks Swimming Pool & Gym, and various leagues are based in the town. Sporting facilities consist of Bishop's Stortford RFC, the hockey club, the tennis club, the squash club, the swimming club and the Bishop's Stortford Golf Club. In the town centre there is also a Cannons Health Club (now Nuffield Health Fitness & Wellbeing), situated by the cinema.

Bishop's Stortford Cricket Club play their home matches at Cricket Field Lane, which is also a home venue for Hertfordshire County Cricket Club. Hockerill Cricket Club play at their ground on Beldams Lane which they share with Bishop's Stortford Running Club. BSRC supports road running and cross-country running, organising four training sessions a week (two coached), and also has an active multi-sports section for those interested in triathlon, duathlon and adventure racing.

Bishop's Stortford Hockey Club (BSHC) share the Cricket Field Lane clubhouse with Bishop's Stortford Cricket Club and boasts a full 10 senior sides – 6 men's and 4 ladies' – along with a thriving junior section. The club has a number of former international players still involved with coaching or playing, including Rob Clift (Great British gold medalist), in addition to a number of senior members who still represent their country at Masters level.

Bishop's Stortford also boasts two association football clubs – Bishop's Stortford F.C., who play in the National League South,[23] and Bishop's Stortford Swifts, who play in the Essex Olympian Football League.

Youth organisations

The town is home to various youth organisations and youth groups, including an Army Cadet Force detachment and an Air Training Corps Squadron. The ACF detachment is located at the Northgate Activities Centre and parades on Monday nights from 19:15 to 21:30. The Air Cadet unit, 1096 (Bishop's Stortford) Squadron, is based in Waytemore Road (CM23 3GR) and parades on Monday and Thursday evenings and caters for cadets aged between 13–18.

GAP Youth Group is affiliated with St James the Great Church in Thorley and is for teenagers from school year 8. The group offers fun, friendship and discussion on challenging everyday issues. This group meets every Sunday between 7:30pm and 9pm at the Barnabus centre, Church Lane, Thorley.[24]

Live music

The Rhodes Arts Complex benefited from a lottery grant in 2006 and is now the town's biggest venue for live music and theatre, hosting the town's most popular rock and indie night "Rhodes Rocks!" every month, as well as appearances from many international artists including Midge Ure, The Beat, Ade Edmondson and many others.

Another live music venue in Bishop's Stortford, supporting rock, blues and folk bands, is The Half Moon at the top end of North Street. It is a traditional and somewhat untouched pub that has a small back-room with stage. The Half Moon is home to The Acoustic Club every Thursday, a monthly blues club and Club Blub, a monthly live showcase for both established acts and new bands. The Rose and Crown in Station Road hosts live music every week and has had such artistes as Steve Marriott, Sam Brown, members of Wings and many more. Among the notable appearances at Club Blub have been Billy Lunn of UK indie act The Subways, Turin Brakes, The Rifles, Ed Drewett and Morning Parade.

Bishop's Stortford is where the youth choir Cantate is based. The choir holds concerts in the surrounding area, including many in the town itself.

Stortford Film Festival

The Stortford Film Festival, the main sponsor of which was Hertfordshire Community Foundation, started in 2010 with a one-day showcase of short films. The 2nd Stortford Film Festival, which took place between 21 and 26 May 2011 at Rhodes Arts Complex, featured over sixty feature films, shorts, animations, documentaries and music videos from over twenty countries. The 2nd Stortford Film Festival jury featured screenwriter and author Hanif Kureishi and award-winning filmmaker Eran Creevy.

Pubs

Being a market town and major coach stop between London and Cambridge, Bishop's Stortford has many large public houses within the town centre. In 1636 The Star in Bridge Street was run by John Ward. The Inn was acquired by Hawkes and Co. and bought in 1808. In the early 20th century The Star catered for cyclists, providing cycle sheds that attracted people from local villages. John Kynnersley Kirby (1894–1962), painted local scenes and portraits of local characters, painted the interior of The Star for a painting entitled 'The Slate Club Secretary'.[25]

Other public houses included the 15th century Boars Head and the 16th century Black Lion, The Curriers, now a restaurant, Between 1644 and 1810, The Raindeer operated which is now the site of the Tourist Information Centre.[26]

Other

Located in the town centre is Anchor Street Entertainment, a multiplex which hosts an Empire cinema and a Nuffield House Health Club. There have been many changes at the Anchor Street Leisure Complex. Kentucky Fried Chicken was the first business to shut down. The Chicago Rock Café went into administration causing its closure at the end of February 2010.[27] Newbury Leisure Ltd., the operator of the Lakeside Bowling Alley, decided to close its Bishop's Stortford site in November 2010 to save the other nine sites they have in the UK.[28] The McDonald's closed at this site on 11 December 2010.

Since 2010, however, the area has seen an influx of new businesses and now boasts a bar (in the old Chicago Rock Cafe), burger café, Fishy Biz fish and chip café (in the former KFC branch), Chicken Corner (station road) and ten-pin bowling alley (1st Bowl have taken over from Lakeside Bowling).

The Lemon Tree restaurant in Water Lane is listed in both The Good Food Guide and the Michelin Guide. In late 2006, town centre restaurant, Host, opened a private members' bar above its restaurant in the Corn Exchange building.

Nightlife spots in Bishop's Stortford include Scorch Nightclub, The Fountain and many other late opening wine bars. There is also The Terrace wine bar open during the summer months with food and live music.

A concrete skateboard park and metal halfpipe is located in the town park opposite Waitrose. It is easily reachable from Bishop's Stortford railway station.

The Water Lane Theatre Group, an amateur drama group, has been based in the town since 1951.

Bishop's Stortford Musical Theatre Company, an amateur musical theatre group, has been based in the town since 1963 performing every year.

Cromarty Vets was founded in Bishop's Stortford in 2007. The group has a Christian ethos and is particularly geared at the 35-plus age group. The aim of the group is to support, mentor and encourage men in tackling the pressures of being a father, husband, lone parent or any other aspect of family and working life. This is achieved through fellowship and friendship via a number of veteran team sports and social events. There are regular football matches played at the Hockerill Anglo-European School's all-weather pitches on Mondays at 7.45pm pitch side ready for an 8pm kick-off. Afterwards there is the opportunity to enjoy a drink and chat at the Red Cow Public House.[29]

Street Pastors in Bishop's Stortford began in September 2008 with an original team of 16 volunteers; this has now grown to 20. The team of volunteers has regularly been out in Bishop's Stortford on alternate Friday and Saturday nights between 10pm and 3am.[30] This is a nationwide scheme, run by Ascension Trust, that Bishop's Stortford has become affiliated to, providing practical support in the form of water and flipflops, and an opportunity for people to talk. It is supported by the members of the local churches in Bishop's Stortford, the local council, and the Hertfordshire police force.

Geography

Climate graph of Bishop's Stortford

Bishop's Stortford has grown around the River Stort valley, with the town centre lying about 60 metres above sea level, rising to over 100 metres above sea level on the eastern and western margins of the town.

Being in South East England, the town enjoys a warmer climate than most of the United Kingdom and has some of the hottest summers in Britain; it is also one of the driest places in the country. Temperatures may sometimes reach the mid-30s Celsius in the summer. Snow is often seen in the winter months because the town is near to the east coast, where cold, moist air is brought in from the North Sea and cold fronts from northern Europe. In recent years there has been up to three inches of snow early in the year which has resulted in minor disruption to transport and caused some schools to close for several days. However, the snow tends not to persist in any noticeable quantity.

Water for the town is supplied by Veolia Water Central. The water is classed as very hard with over 345 mg/l of minerals and 0.225 mg/l of fluoride.

Climate

Bishop's Stortford, along with the rest of the United Kingdom, has a temperate maritime climate, with cool summers and mild winters. The nearest weather station for which averages and extremes are available is Stansted Airport, about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) due east of Bishop's Stortford's town centre. Located at over 100m, the weather station, and parts of Bishop's Stortford in general are marginally cooler throughout the year than the Cambridgeshire area to the north or the London area to the south. Nonetheless, Bishop's Stortford is still warmer than the English average.

The highest temperature recorded at Stansted was 35.0 °C (95.0 °F)[31] during the August 2003 heatwave. In an average year the hottest day should reach 28.8 °C (83.8 °F),[32] and 12.3 days[33] will record a temperature of 25.1 °C (77.2 °F) or more. The lowest temperature recorded at Stansted was −14.7 °C (5.5 °F)[34] during December 1981. Notably cold minimum temperatures tend not to occur due to the lack of higher terrain meaning little cold air drainage occurs. The average annual coldest night should fall to −7.6 °C (18.3 °F),[35] with 47.3[36] air frosts being recorded in an 'average' year.

Typically, the Bishop's Stortford area will receive an average of 622mm[31] of rain during the course of the year. [37] 1mm or more of rain will be recorded on 114.7 days[38] of the year.

Temperature averages refer to the period 1971-00, rainfall averages 1961–90.

Climate data for Stansted, elevation 101m, 1971–2000, Rainfall 1961–1990
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 6.5
(43.7)		 6.9
(44.4)		 9.8
(49.6)		 12.2
(54)		 16.1
(61)		 19.0
(66.2)		 21.7
(71.1)		 21.8
(71.2)		 18.4
(65.1)		 14.1
(57.4)		 9.6
(49.3)		 7.4
(45.3)		 13.5
(56.3)
Average low °C (°F) 0.9
(33.6)		 0.7
(33.3)		 2.4
(36.3)		 3.8
(38.8)		 6.8
(44.2)		 9.7
(49.5)		 12.0
(53.6)		 12.0
(53.6)		 9.9
(49.8)		 7.0
(44.6)		 3.4
(38.1)		 1.9
(35.4)		 5.9
(42.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 53.97
(2.1248)		 39.54
(1.5567)		 49.31
(1.9413)		 46.53
(1.8319)		 45.95
(1.8091)		 50.20
(1.9764)		 53.37
(2.1012)		 56.54
(2.226)		 52.66
(2.0732)		 55.01
(2.1657)		 59.50
(2.3425)		 59.51
(2.3429)		 622.09
(24.4917)
Source #1: YR.NO[39]
Source #2: KNMI[40]

Location grid


 Stansted Mountfitchet
Hertford Great Dunmow
   Bishop's Stortford  
Sawbridgeworth, Harlow

References

  1. ↑ http://www.distance-calculator.co.uk/distances-for-kings_cross-to-bishops_stortford.htm
  2. ↑ "Bishop's Stortford & Thorley: A History and Guide". Retrieved 27 October 2013.
  3. ↑ "Fit for a princess". Daily Mail.
  4. ↑ http://www.stortfordhistory.co.uk/guide1/devoils-lane/
  5. ↑ Marsden, Sam (11 September 2007). "Two men arrested over Bishop's Stortford shooting". The Independent (London).
  6. ↑ "Girl, 3, survives fatal shooting". BBC Online News. 29 August 2007.
  7. ↑ Article dated 2 December 2011 France 24: 'English town cuts links with French and German twins', accessed 8 December 2011
  8. ↑ Die Europa-Monster aus Bishop’s Stortford; Spiegel Online accessed 23 December 2011. "Am 28. September 2012, so teilt Wyllie trocken mit, wird die Gemeinde alle Bande kappen mit den Schwestergemeinden. Gründe für den Abbruch der diplomatischen Beziehungen nennt er nicht."
  9. ↑ Bishop's Stortford Museum
  10. ↑ Bishop's Stortford Town Council and Information Centre Retrieved 14 November 2015
  11. ↑ http://www.monarchy.net/Contact.aspx Retrieved 14 November 2015.
  12. ↑ Harding, Luke (1 December 2011). "Bishop's Stortford dumps its twin towns in France and Germany". The Guardian (London).
  13. ↑ McFarlin Library Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  14. ↑ "Is James the new Doctor Who?". Herts and Essex Observer. 18 November 2008.
  15. ↑ "Kelly Osbourne to hit the airwaves on Radio 1". Daily Mail (London). 6 September 2007.
  16. ↑ The Oxford Dictionary of Saints, Oxford University Press.
  17. ↑ J. Blair, A saint for every minster?', in A. Thacker and R. Sharpe (eds), Local Saints and Local Churches in the Early Medieval West (Oxford, 2002) pp. 463–67.
  18. ↑ Barbara Yorke, Nunneries and the Anglo-Saxon Royal Houses (Continuum, 2003) page 22
  19. ↑ Stowe MS 944, British Library
  20. ↑ G. Hickes, Dissertatio Epistolaris in Linguarum veterum septentrionalium thesaurus grammatico-criticus et archeologicus (Oxford 1703–05), p. 115.
  21. ↑ Ealdgyth of Stortford has been identified by some as Queen Ealdgyth, daughter of Earl Ælfgar (Bishops Stortford & Thorley: A History and Guide) also known as Edith De Mercia and Ealdgyth, who lived in Stortford for some time after the death of her husband, King Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings. This is considered less likely by some scholars as she appears in the Secgan text with a cluster of Mercian royal saints from prior to 900AD.
  22. ↑ "Schools withdraw plan to move to Green Belt", Bishop's Stortford Observer, 4 December 2008
  23. ↑ "Rushden expelled from Conference". BBC News. 11 June 2011.
  24. ↑ "GAP Youth Group". Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  25. ↑ Guide to Bishops Stortford, Accessed 06/01/2015
  26. ↑ Guide to Bishops Stortford, Accessed 09/01/2015
  27. ↑ "Staff made redundant as Chicago Rock Cafe closes in Stortford". Herts and Essex Observer. 2 March 2010.
  28. ↑ "Ghost town fears for Stortford after bowling alley closes". Herts and Essex Observer. 12 March 2010.
  29. ↑ "Cromarty Vets". Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  30. ↑ "Bishop's Stortford Street Pastors". Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  31. 1 2 "August 2003 Maximum". Retrieved 25 February 2011.
  32. ↑ "Mean annual warmest day". Retrieved 25 February 2011.
  33. ↑ "August >25c days". Retrieved 25 February 2011.
  34. ↑ "1981 minimum". Retrieved 25 February 2011.
  35. ↑ "Annual average coldest night". Retrieved 25 February 2011.
  36. ↑ "Annual average air frost". Retrieved 25 February 2011.
  37. ↑ "Rainfall data". Retrieved 25 February 2011.
  38. ↑ "Rainfall data". Retrieved 25 February 2011.
  39. ↑ "Climate Normals 1971–2000". YR.NO. Retrieved 25 February 2011.
  40. ↑ "Climate Normals 1961–1990". KNMI. Retrieved 25 February 2011.

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