A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



the late 1 6th or early 1 7th century, but they have 

 been considerably modernized. On the east side, 

 opposite the entrance to the manor-house, is a larger 

 building, of timber framing covered with plaster, and 

 with tiled roof; it is probably of early 17th-century 

 date. In the front are three large overhanging gables 

 on carved brackets, under which are wide bay windows 

 of two stories ; the front porch is modern. There is 

 a wide late 1 7th-century staircase at the back of the 

 house, with heavy moulded and twisted balusters. 

 The central chimney has three plain octagonal shafts. 

 The interior has been much altered. At the north 

 end of the High Street is a Congregational chapel 

 built in 1886. Of an older chapel built about 

 1786 2 nothing remains except the graveyard. 



The position of the village on the main road gave 

 it some importance.* In the i6th and 17th cen- 

 turies it was accounted an intermediate stage between 

 Ware and Witchford Bridge or Cambridge and 



A second fair was held at Nuthampstead on Thursday 

 before 24 June (St. John Baptist) and the three 

 following days." The market is extinct," and the 

 fairs were abolished in 1883." The Gild Hall or 

 Town House, devoted to the maintenance of an anni- 

 versary in the church, was purchased by Sir Robert 

 Chester after the dissolution of chantries." 



Newsells Park, the seat of Mr. F. W. Woodhouse, 

 J. P., is situated about a mile north of the village. 

 The house was probably built towards the end of the 

 17th century by William or Thomas Newland, but 

 has later additions. The older part consists of a 

 rectangular building with wings projecting south- 

 wards ; about the middle of the 1 8th century an 

 addition was made on the east side, and in recent 

 times the space between the wings was inclosed to 

 form a hall one story in height. The house is of 

 three stories ; the walls are of brick with moulded 

 stone cornice with brackets at the eaves ; the roofs are 



South End of Main Street, Barkway 



Hunsdon.* There is record of sever.il 



^th 



1 6th-century inns, the ' Swan,' the ' George ' and the 

 'Antelope.'" 



The market-house was demolished and rebuilt as 

 a school- house or market-house about 1638.' A 

 market-place existed early in the 13 th century-,' 

 and a Tuesday market was granted to the lord of 

 Newsells in 1270.' At the same time was granted a 

 yearly &ir to be held for eight days beginning on the 

 vigil of the feast of St. M.m- Magdalene ( i. e. 2 1 July).!'' 



slated and are hipped at the ends of the wings. On 

 the east side of the house is an addition of about the 

 middle of the 1 8th century in the Adam style, the 

 front wall forming a flat ellipse on plan. In the 

 billiard room in the west wing is some late 1 7th- 

 century panelling. In the dining room at the back, 

 which is a lofty room carried up two stories with an 

 enriched coved plaster ceiling, are some carved wood 

 festoons of fruit and flowers in the style of Grinling 

 Gibbons. Most of the principal rooms have carved 



■ S«J. R. (Herts. Co. Rec), ii, i;6. 



* In the 14th century the road was 

 evidently unsafe. John de Lancaster, 

 lord of Rokey Manor, was among the 

 men charged with robbing the Earl of 

 Pembroke at Barkway by night in 1347 

 (CjI. Pat. iu^-8, p. 307), and the 

 • ervants of Queen Isabella were attacked 

 It Barkway shortly afterwards (ibid. 

 1548-50, p. 243). 



5 L. <ZB</ P. Hen. Vin, iri, 677 (il) ; 

 Cal. S. P. Dom. 1644—5, P' 170. 



* Chan. Inq. p.m. 28 Hen. VI, no. 21 ; 

 Feet of F. Herts. Trin. 2 Edw. VI ; East. 

 6 Edw. VI i East, i Eliz. ; Star Chamb. 

 Proc. Phil, and Mary, bdle. 6, no. 3 ; 

 Early Chan. Proc. bdle. 278, no. 42. 



' r.C.H. Hirrs. ii, 102. 



° Cart. Man. S. Johavnit de Coleceitria 



26 



(Roxburghe Club), 630, in a charter 

 dating between 1195 and 1238. 



' Cal. Chart. R. 121:7-1300, p. 146. 



>»Ibid. 



" Loud. Gaz. 27 Apr. 1883, p. 2242. 



" It probably lost its importance with 

 the growth of the town of Royston. 



" Lond. Gafc. loc. cit. 



" Pat. 7 Edw. VI, pt. iii, m. 25. 



