BROADWATER HUNDRED 



middle of the 16th century. The two four-centred 

 arches which span the drive are of two double-ogee 

 continuously moulded orders, a good deal restored 

 and with cement panelled bases. The windows are 

 of two lights with four-centred arches under square 

 moulded labels ; the jambs and mullions are moulded. 

 The turret doorway has a moulded four-centred arch 

 with carved spandrels under a square head; one 

 spandrel is carved with foliage, the other with a tun or 

 barrel and vine leaves and fruit. The ornamental iron 

 gates under the eastern arch and the fencing to the 

 windows next the park are of 1 8th-century work. 



From the centre of the village a road runs east- 

 ward to Deard's End, where there is an interesting 

 late 16th-century farm-house of timber and brick 

 nogging and a tiled roof. The church of St. Mary 



is a gravel-pit at Deard's End and another near 

 Three Houses. There is a railway station on the 

 Great Northern main line, situated in the extreme 

 east of the parish near Deard's End. 



The inclosure award was made in 18 19, the 

 authorizing Act being passed in i8lo, 2 



In 1882 a portion of the parish on the east, 

 including Swangley's Farm, was transferred to Datch- 

 worth. 8 



Place-names mentioned in 1638 are Courtheld, 

 Blackhouse Ground, Coxe, Black Pitt, Neze Field, 

 Blackwell Field and Wellfield.* 



The manor of KNEBfFORTH was 

 MJNORS held in the time of Edward the Con- 

 fessor by Aschil, a thegn of the king. 

 In 1086 it formed part of the lands of Eudo Dapifer, 



Knebworth House : West Loi 



is situated in the park which surrounds Knebworth 

 House, and lies a short distance north-west from the 

 village. Rustling End is a hamlet in the north-west 

 of the parish, with Crouch Green about half a mile 

 south. Little Rustling End Farm is a 17th-century 

 timber and brick and timber and plaster house. Part 

 of the hamlet of Broadwater lies on the north-eastern 

 boundary of the parish. There are two tumuli in 

 Graffridge Wood, somewhat damaged. 



The subsoil of the parish is chalk. There are 

 chalk-pits beside the railway and disused ones in 

 Knebworth Park and west of Rustling End. There 



son of Hubert de Ryes, and was assessedat 8£ hides. 6 

 About the middle of the 12th century the 'honour 

 of Eudo Dapifer' was in the hands of Warine 

 Fitz Gerold. 6 This honour evidently included 

 Knebworth, for it is found in the possession of 

 Margery or Margaret daughter and heir of Warine 

 son of Warine Fitz Gerold, who married Baldwin 

 de Redvers Earl of Devon, after whose death in 

 1216 7 she received Knebworth in dower. 8 She 

 married secondly Falkes de Breaute, who held the 

 manor in right of his wife, but was banished in 

 1224, when his lands were taken into the king's 



* Blue Bk. Inch A-aiardi, 63^. 



* Divided Parishes Act, 1 882, 



* Herts. Gffl. and Anita, iii, 185. 

 »F.CM. Biro, \ t3 ztb. 



6 Black Bk. Exck. {ed. Hearne), i, 

 137-9 i BeJBi. Exch. (Rolls Ser.), i, 38. 



7 G.E.C. Complete Peerage. Henry, 

 brother of the elder Warine, held the 



honour in 1 166. The younger Warine was 



chamberlain early in the 13th century {Red 



Bk.ofExch.\, 94, i75,3S6i ", 461). 



8 Abbrev. Plae. (Rec, Com.), 160. 



