| Harpenden | |
  Harpenden shown within Hertfordshire |
|
| Population | 30,000 |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| District | St Albans |
| Shire county | Hertfordshire |
| Region | East |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | HARPENDEN |
| Postcode district | AL5 |
| Dialling code | 01582 |
| Police | Hertfordshire |
| Fire | Hertfordshire |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| European Parliament | East of England |
| UK Parliament | Hitchin and Harpenden |
| List of places: UK • England • Hertfordshire | |
Harpenden is a town in the City and District of St Albans of Hertfordshire in the South East of England. Hertfordshire (ˈhɑːtfədʃə(r, abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government Naming The district's irregular sounding name reflects its diverse nature with two main urban areas and several villages typically districts with the status of cities are known Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of Subdivisions of England used for the purposes of Local government outside Greater London Hertfordshire (ˈhɑːtfədʃə(r, abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of local government sub-national entity of England, with only one The East of England is one of the nine official Regions of England. Constituent country is a phrase used often by official institutions in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland This list of sovereign states, alphabetically arranged gives an overview of States around the world with information on the extent of their Sovereignty. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system UK Postal codes are known as postcodes. UK postcodes are Alphanumeric. The AL postcode area, also known as the St Albans postcode area, is a group of ten postal districts in central Hertfordshire which are subdivisions of five Post towns The UK Telephone numbering plan, also known as the National Telephone Numbering Plan, is the system used for assigning Telephone numbers in the United There are a number of law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom. Hertfordshire Constabulary is the Home Office Police force responsible for policing the county of Hertfordshire in England. The fire service in the United Kingdom operates under separate legislative and administrative arrangements in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service is the Statutory fire and rescue service for the County of Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust is the authority responsible for providing NHS Ambulance services in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, East of England is a Constituency of the European Parliament. This is a list of the 646 constituencies currently represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, as at the 2005 general election Hitchin and Harpenden is a Constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. A Gazetteer of place names in the United Kingdom showing each place's County, Unitary authority or council area and its geographical coordinates List of places --> List of cities in the United Kingdom List of towns in England Lists of places This is a list of settlements in the ceremonial county of Hertfordshire, England. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. Naming The district's irregular sounding name reflects its diverse nature with two main urban areas and several villages typically districts with the status of cities are known Hertfordshire (ˈhɑːtfədʃə(r, abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of South East England is one of the nine official Regions of England. It lies on the A1081, north of St Albans. The A1081 road in Hertfordshire, England broadly follows and replaces the former route of the A6 south of Luton in Bedfordshire. St Albans is the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London. Harpenden's exceptionally high-performing schools and fast train links to the city of London and airports make it a popular and affluent commuter town, with The Daily Telegraph listing the town as 8th on their 'Richest Towns List' in May 2008[1]. With an average house price of £500,000 and many properties selling for up to £3/4 million it is one of the most expensive places to live in the UK, outside of London.
The town's total population is just under 30,000. [2]
Contents |
Geography and administration
There are two civil parishes: Harpenden and Harpenden Rural. A civil parish in the United Kingdom is a unit of local government. Harpenden Rural is a Civil parish in the City and District of St Albans in Hertfordshire, England, to the west of Harpenden parish
Harpenden railway station is on a frequent and fast rail link to central London now served by First Capital Connect, having been served previously by Thameslink. Harpenden railway station serves the town of Harpenden, Hertfordshire, England. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. First Capital Connect (FCC is a passenger train operating company in England that began operations on the National Rail network on 1 April 2006 Thameslink is a fifty-station line in the British railway system running north to south from Bedford to Brighton through the Snow Hill tunnel Some trains stop at 'all stations' on the route, others stop at St Albans before continuing non-stop to London St Pancras International (Harpenden to St Pancras International - 25 minutes). St Albans is the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London. St Pancras railway station is a major railway station situated in the St Pancras area of Central London between the British Library and King's Cross Trains run north to Luton and on to Bedford. Luton ( is a large town in the east of England, 32 miles (51 kilometres north of London. Bedford is the County town of Bedfordshire, England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the Bedford borough From London, the trains continue south to Brighton via Gatwick or Wimbledon and Sutton. Brighton ( is a town on the south coast of England and with its neighbour Hove, forms the city of Brighton and Hove. Wimbledon is a Suburb of London, part of the London Borough of Merton and located south west of Charing Cross. Sutton is the principal town in the London Borough of Sutton. The rail link therefore gives direct access to London Luton Airport (one stop north) and London Gatwick Airport (approx 1hr 10 m on a limited stops train). London Luton Airport (previously called Luton International Airport) is an International airport located on the edge of the Town of Luton Gatwick Airport is London 's second largest Airport and the second busiest airport in the United Kingdom after Heathrow.
In common with much of the region, Harpenden is an area of extremely high property costs. Land Registry data suggests that the average house price in Harpenden in the 1st quarter of 2006 was £500,902 (against £287,277 for St Albans District generally, and £183,598 nationally). The data also indicates that an unusually high proportion of houses in Harpenden are owner occupied (81. 4%, as opposed to 69. 6% in the District generally, and 66. 2% nationally). [3]
The River Lea flows through the Batford neighbourhood. River Lee may refer to The River Lee (England The River Lee (Ireland The Nicky Line railway used to link Harpenden, Redbourn and Hemel Hempstead. History The main line from London to Birmingham, opened in 1837 passed near Hemel Hempstead but due to vigorous lobbying by local landowners (including the Redbourn (or occasionally Redbourne) is a village in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, lying on Watling Street, roughly 5 miles from St Albans Hemel Hempstead is a Town in Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom with a Population of 81143 at the United Kingdom Census It has since been converted to a path forming part of the National Cycle Network. The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom. The A6 used to run through Harpenden, the road numbering was changed to avoid congestion. The M1 runs nearby. The M1 is a major south – north Motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where
Harpenden has a large number of its streets named for English literary figures on the East side of the town (an area known, unsurprisingly, as the Poet's Corner), including Byron Road, Cowper Road, Kipling Way, Milton Road, Shakespeare Road, Spenser Road, Shelley Court, Tennyson Road, Townsend Road and Wordsworth Road. William Cowper (pronounced " Cooper " ˈkuːpɚ (26 November 1731 – 25 April 1800was an English Poet and Hymnodist. Joseph Rudyard Kipling (30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936 was an English Author and poet John Milton ( 9 December, 1608 – 8 November, 1674) was an English Poet, Prose Polemicist and William Shakespeare ( baptised Edmund Spenser (c 1552 &ndash 13 January, 1599) was an important English Poet and Poet Laureate best known for The Mary Shelley ( Née Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin; 30 August Alfred Tennyson 1st Baron Tennyson (6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892 was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom and remains one of the most popular English poets Aurelian Townshend (sometimes Townsend (c 1583 - c 1643) was a seventeenth-century English poet and playwright
History
Harpenden grew out of Westminster Abbey's gradual clearing of woodland for farming and settlement within its Wheathampstead manor, granted by Edward the Confessor in 1060. King Edward the Confessor (c 1003 &ndash 5 January 1066 son of Ethelred the Unready, was the penultimate Anglo-Saxon King of England and the last A first reference to a parish church is in 1221 (where it is referred to as Harpendene) so it is inferred that the village grew up around then. The church of St Nicholas is the oldest church in the town, originally built as a Chapel of ease in 1217. The church of St Nicholas is the oldest known church in Harpenden, Hertfordshire. A chapel of ease (sometimes 'chapel-of-ease' is a church building other than the main church (the Parish church) of a Parish.
Just beyond the southern edge of the town lies Nomansland Common (sometimes simply called "No Man's Land") upon which part of the Second Battle of St Albans were fought during the War of the Roses. Nomansland Common (sometimes simply called No Man's Land) is an area of common land in Hertfordshire, England to the south of Harpenden The Second Battle of St Albans was a Battle of the English Wars of the Roses fought on February 17, 1461 near the town of St Albans Nomanland Common also saw the first annually contested steeplechase in England, in 1830 when it was organised by Thomas Coleman, and the last fight of nineteenth century bare-knuckle fighter, Simon Byrne. The steeplechase is a form of Horse racing (primarily conducted in the United Kingdom, United States, France, and Ireland) and derives Simon Byrne (1806 &ndash 2 June 1833 nicknamed "The Emerald Gem" was an Irish bare-knuckle It was also the haunt of the highwaywoman known as "Wicked Lady". Lady Katherine Fanshaw (née Ferrers) ( 4 May, 1634 - c 13 June, 1660) was according to popular legend the "Wicked Lady"
Between 1848 and 1914 the common was a regular venue for horse racing. In his History of Hertfordshire in 1879, John Edwin Cussans commented "Notwithstanding that these meetings are under the most unexceptional patronage as regards the Stewards, yet for two days in the year all the London pickpockets, sharpers and blackguards who happen to be out of gaol are permitted to make Harpenden their own and to make travelling in a first-class carriage on the Midland Railway a danger to men and an impossibility to ladies. "
A little-known industry of Harpenden was straw-weaving, a trade mainly carried out by women in the nineteenth century. A good straw weaver could make as much as a field labourer. The straw plaits were taken to the specialist markets in St Albans or Luton and bought by dealers to be converted into straw items such as boaters and other hats or bonnets.
The arrival of the railway from 1860 and the sale of farms for residential development after 1880 radically changed Harpenden's surroundings. It grew from a basically agricultural village into a town. The actress Ellen Terry lived in Harpenden from 1868 to 1874, with her architect lover Godwin, in a house he built called Pigeonwick. Dame Ellen Terry GBE ( 27 February 1847 &ndash 21 July 1928) was an English stage actress. He commuted into London by train.
Harpenden's most prestigious contribution to history is Rothamsted Manor and Rothamsted Research (formerly Rothamsted Experimental Station and later the Institute of Arable Crops Research), a leading centre for agricultural research. The Rothamsted Experimental Station, one of the oldest agricultural research institutions in the world is located at Harpenden in Hertfordshire, England In front of its main building, which faces the common, is a stone, erected in 1893, commemorating 50 years of experiments by Sir John Bennet Lawes and Joseph Henry Gilbert. "Sir John Lawes" redirects here Distinguish from Sir John Lawes (School Sir Joseph Henry Gilbert (1817-1901 was an English Chemist born at Hull on the 1st of August 1817
Lawes inherited the family estate in 1834. Acknowledged as "the father of agricultural science", his early field experiments on Hertfordshire farms led him to patent a phosphate fertiliser, the sales of which enriched him immensely. With the proceeds, he established the experimental station, building laboratories in the 1850s. The station continued the development of the artificial fertilisers on which most modern farmers now depend. Some of the long-term 'classical field experiments' begun by Lawes and Gilbert remain in place to this day, representing a unique resource for agricultural and environmental research.
Parks and commons
One notable feature of Harpenden is its abundant parks and commons. Common land (a common) is a piece of land owned by one person but over which other people can exercise certain traditional rights such as allowing their livestock to graze The central area of Harpenden, known locally as "the village" is characterised by Church Green, Leyton Green and the High Street Greens, which give the town its provincial feel.
Just to the south of the town centre is Harpenden common, stretching from the shops in the town centre for more than a mile to the south, encompassing a total of 238 acres.
In addition the town has large green public spaces available in Rothamsted Park, Batford park, Kinsbourne Green, Lydekker park and the Nicky line which bisects the town. Rothamsted Park is a 56 acre Park in Harpenden, Hertfordshire. Lydekker Park is a three acre park in Harpenden, Hertfordshire. History The main line from London to Birmingham, opened in 1837 passed near Hemel Hempstead but due to vigorous lobbying by local landowners (including the
Just to the south of Harpenden is the large expanse of Nomansland common. Nomansland Common (sometimes simply called No Man's Land) is an area of common land in Hertfordshire, England to the south of Harpenden
Twinning
Harpenden is twinned with:
Miscellany
- The Rothamsted Experimental Station is in Harpenden. Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire is a commune of the Nièvre département, in France. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Alzey (ˈaltsaɪ is a town in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany It is the administrative seat of the District of Alzey-Worms, and the fourth-largest Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The Rothamsted Experimental Station, one of the oldest agricultural research institutions in the world is located at Harpenden in Hertfordshire, England
- Sir John Lawes School, Roundwood Park School, and St. George's School, are all in Harpenden. Sir John Lawes School (aka SJL is a Secondary school located in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom (UK Roundwood Park School is a mixed 11-18 Secondary school situated in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, UK. St George's School Harpenden a traditional day and boarding school was originally a Private school, and is now a Voluntary aided school.
- Youth With A Mission an international Christian missionary organization, has an estate in Harpenden. Youth With A Mission ( YWAM, generally pronounced as "why-wam" is an international inter-denominational non-profit Christian Missionary organization [3] This is on the site of the old National Children's Home.
- In a 2008 episode of Peep Show, a character was mentioned as owning a mug marked "Harpenden, Harpenden, Harpenden".
Notable residents
- Saracens and England Rugby player Andy Farrell
- Red Dwarf actor and Robot Wars commentator Craig Charles
- The visionary poet Ralph Chubb was born here in 1892. Andrew "Andy" Farrell OBE (born 30 May 1975 in Wigan) is an English professional rugby player According to the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, a red dwarf star is a small and relatively cool Star, of the Main sequence, either late K Craig Charles (born 11 July, 1964 in Liverpool, England) is an English Actor, Stand up comedian, Author Ralph Nicholas Chubb ( 8 February 1892 - 14 January 1960) was an English Poet, printer, and Artist
- Ferdinand Walsin Esterhazy, involved in the Dreyfus affair lived in Milton Road, after his flight from France until his death in 1923. Charles Marie Ferdinand Walsin Esterhazy ( December 16, 1847 &ndash May 21, 1923) was a French Traitor, who served as a The Dreyfus Affair a Political scandal which divided France from the 1890s to the early 1900s He is buried in St Nicholas' churchyard.
- Donald Coxeter one of the great geometers of the 20th century attended St. George's School, Harpenden. Harold Scott MacDonald "Donald" Coxeter CC ( February 9, 1907 – March 31, 2003) is regarded as one of the great St George's School Harpenden a traditional day and boarding school was originally a Private school, and is now a Voluntary aided school.
- Everest mountaineer, author, scriptwriter and director Matt Dickinson
- Former Arsenal footballers Lee Dixon and Andy Linighan
- Ronald Fisher, a statistician who almost single-handedly created the foundations for modern statistical science,[4] worked at Rothamsted Experimental Station. Matt Dickinson is a film-maker and Writer who specialises in the wild places and people of the world Lee Michael Dixon (born 17 March 1964 in Manchester, England) is a former English professional footballer who formed part of the highly-respected Andrew "Andy" Linighan (born June 18, 1962) is a former English football player Sir Ronald Aylmer Fisher, FRS ( 17 February 1890 – 29 July 1962) was an English Statistician, Evolutionary The Rothamsted Experimental Station, one of the oldest agricultural research institutions in the world is located at Harpenden in Hertfordshire, England
- Martin Gore from the band Depeche Mode
- Dame Ellen Terry the famous actress 1847 - 1928, who lived in Harpenden from 1868 to 1874
- The great filmmaker Stanley Kubrick lived and died in nearby Childwickbury Manor. Martin Gore (born Martin Lee Gore, 23 July 1961, Basildon, Essex, England) is an English Songwriter, Lyricist Depeche Mode (dəˌpɛʃˈmoʊd are an English Electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. Dame Ellen Terry GBE ( 27 February 1847 &ndash 21 July 1928) was an English stage actress. Childwickbury Manor is a manor in Hertfordshire, England, between St Albans and Harpenden.
- Australian writer Henry Lawson lived in 'Spring Villa', Cowper Rd, Harpenden from July-September, 1900. Henry Lawson (17 June 1867 – 2 September 1922 was an Australian writer and poet
- Late comedian Eric Morecambe lived in Harpenden (after whom the town hall is named), close to his beloved Luton Town FC. John Eric Bartholomew OBE ( 14 May 1926 &ndash 28 May 1984) better known by his stage name Eric Morecambe, was an Luton Town Football Club are an English football team based in the town of Luton in Bedfordshire. His funeral and burial took place in St. Nicholas Church in Harpenden town centre. The church of St Nicholas is the oldest known church in Harpenden, Hertfordshire.
- Albert Moses, an actor who starred in Mind Your Language playing Punjabi student Ranjeet Singh and a number of James Bond films, is a long standing resident of Harpenden. Albert Moses (born 19 December 1937 is a UK based Sri Lankan actor born in Kandy Sri Lanka. Mind Your Language is a British comedy television series, that premiered on ITV in late 1977 Punjabi may refer to The Punjabi language of Pakistan and India Punjabi grammar List of Punjabi
- Football commentator John Motson
- Tim Rice, the composer, attended Aldwickbury School. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered John Walker Motson OBE (born 10 July 1945, Salford, Greater Manchester) sometimes known as Motty, is an English football Sir Timothy Miles Bindon Rice (born 10 November 1944 is an English Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Tony Award and Grammy Award Aldwickbury School is an independent all boys preparatory school located on the outskirts of Harpenden, Hertfordshire in the United
- Christopher Strauli an actor who starred in Only When I Laugh and Full House was born in Harpenden. Christopher Strauli (born Harpenden, Hertfordshire, England, April 13th 1946) is a British Actor. Only When I Laugh was a British television Sitcom made by Yorkshire Television for ITV between 1979 and 1982
- Alternative musician Richard Youngs grew up in the town and recorded several albums there, especially Lake and Advent
- Ken Brown, who played in the Ryder Cup and is now a commentator for major golf competitions such as the British Open
- Frank Ifield, legendary Australian singer and yodeller lived in Harpenden
- Guy Johnston Leading cello soloist and winner of BBC Young Musician of the Year in 2000
Sport
Harpenden is home to various sports clubs. Richard Youngs (born 29 May 1966 is a British musician with a prolific and diverse output including many collaborations Ken Brown or Kenny Brown may refer to Ken Brown (filmmaker Ken Brown (golfer (born 1957 Scottish golfer and BBC golf broadcaster Frank Ifield (born Francis Edward Ifield 30 November 1937, Coundon Coventry, Warwickshire, England) is an Australian Guy Johnston (born 1981 is a British cellist and the winner of the BBC Young Musician of the Year award in 2000 where he broke a string in the concert broadcast Just a selection are listed below:
- Harpenden Town Football Club
- Harpenden Rugby Football Club
- Harpenden Lawn Tennis Club
- Harpenden Dolphins Cricket Club
- Harpenden Colts Football Club
- Harpenden Hockey Club
Harpenden's Under 17 Rugby Squad won the 2008 National Cup Championship. Harpenden Town Football Club is a football club based in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, England. Harpenden Rugby Football Club is a rugby club based in Harpenden. prod concern = Article fails to convey that there is anything noteworthy about this cricket club Harpenden Rugby Football Club is a rugby club based in Harpenden.
Gallery
 Harpenden High Street, looking north |
 Harpenden High Street, looking north |
Harpenden High StreetImage:Harpenden High Street 4. jpg
Harpenden High Street, looking south |
 Harpenden War Memorial |
 St Nicholas Church |
 Lydekker Park |
 Rothamsted Park |
References
- ^ Britain's Richest Towns - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/main.jhtml?xml=/property/2008/04/19/nosplit/prichtown10-01.xml
- ^ Hertsdirect.org, however, other sources suggest that the population is either higher,[1] or lower. [2]
- ^ Source. Part of the discrepancy is explained by the "top-heavy" nature of the Harpenden property market, which has a disproportionately high level of detached houses (40. 8% in Harpenden, against a national average of 22. 8%) and a disproportionately low level of flats (16. 5% in Harpenden, against 19. 2% nationally) and, slightly perplexingly, significantly fewer terraced houses (15. 4% in Harpenden, against a national average of 26. 0%).
External links
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