The Old Town, Hemel Hempstead

First mentioned in Anglo-Saxon times, the 'Old'
High Street was the centre of Hemel Hempstead
before it became a 'new town' in 1946. It is
thought that the main thoroughfare of Hemel
Hempstead was through what is now Gadebridge
Park. As a group of Monks guarded their fishing
rights in the river Gade, the peasants were
diverted to a footpath that led up a hill towards
St Mary's Church. The track became the
established 'Market Street' in the seventeenth -
century when a market house was built. Opposite
us is St. Mary's Church; that has stood for more
than 500 years, the market place and the Town
Hall. Four, of originally twenty four, pubs remain:
The Bell, first registered as an inn in 1603; the
Kings Arms, established in 1626; the Rose and
Crown, built in 1523; and the White Hart, in 1605.

Claims to fame - According to local legend, King
Henry VIII courted Ann Boleyn in Hemel; using
underground tunnels to travel around. Plus, the
BBC sitcom 'Pie In The Sky' was filmed in the
now dolls house shop, Enchanting Castles!