BROADWATER HUNDRED 



originally it dwelling-house, which stands opposite 

 the modern church of Holy Trinity. 



Although a great part of the town was burnt in a 

 fire which occurred on 10 July 1807, 8 there still 

 remain many interesting specimens of 17th-century 

 timber and plaster houses with tiled roofs, principally 

 in the High Street. The grammar school, the 

 history of which will be found elsewhere, 5 stands at 

 the north end of the bowling green. It was enlarged 

 and considerably altered in 1905, but there survives 

 a small rectangular building consisting of one room, 

 probably of the foundation of 1 5 61 . It was originally 

 of timber and brick, but is now largely refaced with 

 brick. On the east side of the High Street opposite 

 the green is a 17th-century timber and brick house 

 refronted, with an original chimney stack ; a little 

 southward are a 17th-century inn and cottages. 



STEVENAGE 



renewed in brick. In the yard of the latter are the 

 remains of a 16th-century building with a projecting 

 upper story. South of the ' Red Lion ' is a 1 7 th-century 

 house, partly used as a shop. It has a gable at each 

 end and a dormer window between ; the upper part 

 Is of pargeted timber and the lower of brick, plastered. 

 It has an octagonal brick shaft on a moulded base. 



The main line of the Great Northern railway runs 

 through the parish parallel to the Great North Road. 



The subsoil of the parish is chalk, and there are 

 many chalk-pits in various parts. 



The inclosure award was made in 1854, and is 

 in the custody of the clerk of the peace. 10 



The manor of STEFENJGE was 



MANORS granted to the abbey of St. Peter at 



Westminster by Edward the Confessor 



about 1062, 11 and was entered among the possessions 



Chells Farm from the Nor-; 



Towards the south end of the street is a two-storied 

 gabled shop, the upper story of which is covered with 

 basket-work pargeting in panels. The Castle Inn, 

 with the cottage adjoining, originally formed one 

 building, probably of the latter part of the 16th 

 century. They have basket-work pargeting in the 

 upper story and gables. On the west side of the 

 street are several other instances of the use of basket- 

 work pargeting in 1 7th-century houses ; many of 

 them, however, are now refaced in front with brick. 

 The inns called the 'White Lion' and the 'Red 

 Lion ' have timber coach entrances, but much of the 

 old 1 7th-century timber and plaster work has been 



s Lewis Evana Coll. (Herts. Cu. Mm,), " V.C.H. Herts, i, 



MS. marked Hitchin. 13 Assize R. 321 



* V.C.H. Hens, ii, 69-71. Accta. ji-j Hen. V 



" Bhi Bk. Incl. Atvardi, 64, 14 Dugdale, Mm. 



" Cott. MS. vi, 2. u Ibid. 



of the abbot in 1 086, when it was assessed at 8 hides. !1 

 Stevenage Manor remained in the hands of the Abbots 

 of Westminster 13 until January 1539-40, when the 

 monastery and its possessions were surrendered to 

 the Crown. 11 At the end of 1540, however, the 

 bishopric of Westminster was created and endowed 

 with the lands which had belonged to the monastery, 1 ' 

 and Stevenage pertained to the bishopric 16 until its 

 surrender to Edward VI in i55o, 17 when this manor 

 was presumably given to Bishop Ridley of London, 

 together with the greater part of the Westminster 

 lands. la It was confirmed to the bishopric of London 

 by Mary in 1554, 10 and then remained in the 



]iii. 



" L. and P. Hen. fill, xvi, f 

 ( !3 ) i Ct. R. (G«n. Ser.), portf. .7 

 62. I 7 D. of Purch. and Eirch. 1 



1S Dugdale, Mon, i, 281. 



19 Pat. 1 Mary, pt. iv, m, 16. 



