HITCHIN HUNDRED 



HITCHIN 



cent.) ; 



eludes besidi 

 of Walsworth 

 acres, Preston, 



Ippollitts, which 

 between the 



Hicche, Hiz (xi cent.) ; Hicche (xii : 

 Huthe, Huche, Huchine, Hytchen (xii 

 Lutchon 1 (xv cent.). The parish of Hi 



own the three extensive hamlets 

 the north-west covering 1,05 1 

 iggling village in the south, having 

 res, and Langley still further south, 

 r 1,626 acres. 8 The parish of 

 was a chapelry to Hitchin, lies 

 portion of Hitchin and the almost 

 detached hamlet of Langley and is inclosed by them 

 on three sides. The parish of Hitchin exclusive of 

 its hamlets covers the upper portion of the basin of 

 the River Hiz, which rises at Well Head just beyond 

 the south-west border of the parish and flows north- 

 east. The River Oughton, rising at Oughton Head 

 on the west, Sows north-east, forming the parish 

 boundary and joins the Hiz. The River Purwel!, 

 which has its source at Nine Springs in the parish of 

 Great Wymondley, flows across Walsworth Common 

 and joins the Hiz. The surface of the land near 

 these streams is only some 1 90 ft. above the ordnance 

 datum, but the ground rises to the south, east and 

 west, gradually reaching a height of 300 ft. on the 

 north-east border of the parish. The greater part of 

 Preston hamlet is considerably higher and lies on a 

 ridge of the Chilterns. In the centre of this hamlet 

 at its highest part the ground has a height of 507 ft., 

 and from here there is a slight incline towards the 

 south-east which continues through the hamlet of 

 Langley down to a height of 309 ft. 



The soil is chalk, 3 and is mentioned by Norden as 

 'a kinde of chalke which they call Hurlocke, a stonie 

 Marie more fit to make lime then to soyle the 

 grounde, yet beeing mixed with a more fragile and 

 gentle Marie, which also aboundeth there, they find 

 it very helpfull to their come fields.' 4 The common 

 fields of Walsworth hamlet were inclosed in 1 766-7? 

 and those of Hitchin called Bury Mead and Cock 

 Mead in 1877 and 1886, 6 but there are several open 

 fields in Hitchin to this day. 



In the 16th century a great quantity of malt was 

 made at Hitchin, 7 and brewing is still an important 

 industry of the town. Corn is the chief product of 

 the district, and there has been a famous corn market 

 here for more than 300 years. 8 Potatoes, pepper- 

 mint, and laverider are also much cultivated. 

 Lavender is grown in the fields to the north of the 

 town and is distilled by two large firms, Messrs. 

 Perks & Llewelyn and Messrs. W. Ransom & Son. 



Palaeolithic implements have been found in and 

 near Hitchin, 9 and pottery of the late Celtic period 

 has also been found in the neighbourhood. 10 A 

 barrow of pre-Roman date to the south of the Icknield 

 Way was opened and found to contain burnt bones, 



a clay urn, 11 Coins of Oft'a 

 md Roman objects have been 



a blade of copper, 

 have been discovered a 



Place-names which occur in records of this parish 

 in the 17th century are Cleypitts, Conigre, Ladder 

 Peece, Pattens, Hyover, Toyes, Saffron Close and 

 Silverstreet Close. 12 



The original plan of Hitchin followed that usual 

 in country market towns. It stands on an important 

 road and clusters around a large triangular market- 

 place formed by the widening of the road. The 

 market-place originally extended from the south side 

 of Tilehouse Street on the south to Bancroft on the 

 north, and from the east side of Sun Street on the 

 east to the west side of Bucklersbury and High 

 Street on the west. The actual market-place is now 

 restricted to the small middle portion of this area, 

 the remainder as at St. Albans, Berkhampstead and 

 elsewhere having been built over at first by perma- 

 nent stalls and then by shops. These encroachments 

 began probably in the 13th or 14th century, but by 

 1470 we have evidence of continuous tenure here by 

 the lease of two stalls for forty years. 13 By 1 60 3 

 the market-place had evidently been built upon 

 for some time, 11 the courts being held in one 

 of the so-called 'stalls.' 15 Facing the market-place 

 stood the numerous inns which formerly existed in 



the town, 16 

 their back pre 



id the houses of the I 



isfolk with 



3 the 



Paynes Park ant 

 School Walk on the west. On the east side of the 

 market-place stands the church of St. Mary with its 

 large churchyard. The extension of the town along 

 Bridge Street and Tilehouse Street, and a little later 

 along what is now Queen Street, is of mediaeval 

 date, and was possibly made at the time of the 

 founding of the priory in 1 3 17. The town has 

 been developing rapidly of late years. Houses have 

 been built on the higher land on the east and south 

 sides and near the railway station, which lies about 

 half a mile to the east of the town. 



Hitchin is fortunate in having retained so many of 

 its ancient houses, though most of them have been 

 refronted and much altered in the 1 Sth and 19th 

 centuries. In Bancroft or Bancroft Street, 17 at the 

 north end of the market-place, are many old houses. 

 On the west side is a house now known as the Croft, 

 which was built early in the 15th century, although 

 since much altered, and was occupied until recently 

 by the Tuke family. A little to the south on the 

 same side is ' The Brotherhood,' probably the hall of 

 the gild of our Lady, founded in 1475. It is a 

 building of the 15th century, covered with rough- 

 cast, with a tiled roof. It was originally rectangular 

 in plan, and the ground floor, which was divided by 



