Berkhamsted is a market town in Hertfordshire near to Hemel Hempstead.
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| Berkhamsted |
| Information | |
|---|---|
| County: | Hertfordshire |
| District: | Dacorum |
| Population: | 18, 500 |
Berkhamsted has been inhabited since the Neolithic with stone flints found in the centre of the town. Traces of Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman settlements have also been found in the area. The first mention of Berkhamsted is from 970CE when it was bequeathed in the will of Ælfgifu, queen consort of King Eadwig. The name of the place was Beorhðanstædæ which could be from the Old English for hill or birch and homestead. Berkhamsted was also listed in the Domesday Book.
The castle at Berkhamsted was an early Norman motte and bailey example, probably built soon after the conquest. It is now in ruins though was important for a long time, even used as a residence for a time by King Henry IV. It was nearly destroyed by the building of the railway in the 1830s and became the first of what is now many buildings to receive legal protection.
Berkhamsted became a market town in 1156, the charter granted by King Henry II. The wool trade became important in the town in the Middle Ages. The town fell into decline after the abandonment of the castle in the 16th century and remained limited in size until the town began to grow again with the arrival of various trade networks including the canals and railways.
The town gained a number of important trades though has become a largely commuter town in the late 20th century.
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| Timber framed building next to the church |
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