A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



th. 



:hcn, but the stair itself is very plain. AH the 

 external walls are timber- frame J, lathed and plastered 

 on the outside, the plaster being ornamented with the 

 usual large flush panels filled with some roughly 

 icratched pattern. The roofs are steep and covered 

 with tiles and all terminate in plain gables. There 

 is an overhanging upper story on the east side. 

 Some of the windows retain their oak mulhons and 

 transoms. The two old chimneys are groups of plain 

 shafts of bricks 2 in. in thickness. 



Three roads branching to the east run into the 

 road to Ardeley, on the east side of which is Walkern 

 Bury, now a modem farm-house. Adjoining it on 

 the south is a small castle ofthe mount and bailey type, 

 thrown up possibly by Hamo de St. Clare in the 

 reign of Stephen. 2 Hamo was, we know, an adherent 

 of the turbulent Geoffrey dc Mandeville, and was 

 with him at Stephen's celebrated Easter Court in 



Bridce 



In 1403 a commission was granted to John Couper 

 of Walkern, John Matmakcre of Walton, Thoma* 

 Barbour and William Templier of Walkern ' to search 

 for certain treasure of no small amount, which the 



King understands to be hidd< 

 of Walkern called " Marlepitte. 

 found before the Kin] 

 The nearest railw; 

 Great N< 



1 136. Although the castle stands fairly high, being 

 about 400 ft. above the ordnance datum, it does not 

 seem to have commanded any large extent of country, 

 and would appear to have been built at Walkern as a 

 manorial stronghold, because that was the head of 

 the St. Clare barony in Hertfordshire. It never 

 apparently hid any masonry works, the earthworks 

 being defended by a wooden keep on the mound and 

 limber stockades on the outer defences. The castle 

 was probably destroyed, with numerous other adul- 

 terine or unlicensed castles, in the reign of Henry II. 

 At Clay End a road branches off still further east 

 to Walkern Park, the residence of Mrs. Cotton 

 Browne. Boxbury Farm and Box Wood are in the 

 west of the parish. The parish lies on a subsoil of 

 chalk ; there are many chalk-pits and gravel-pits, 

 especially between Walkern and the Ardeley road. 



nd Cot 



t in the field 



id to bring it when 

 1 with all speed." 

 Iway station is Stevenage, on the 

 main line, 5 miles west. The 

 dated 1850, and is in the custody 

 of the clerk of the peace. 4 



Place-names that occur in Walkern are Tristrammei 

 Grove, Cheney Hall and Tonecrofts. 



In the time of Edward the Confessor 

 MJNORS WALKERN was held by Alwin Home, 

 one of the king's thegns. After the Con- 

 quest it was granted to Derman, a thegn of William 

 the Conqueror, at which period it was assessed at 

 10 hides. 8 Derman was succeeded in the manor of 

 Walkern, as in Watton, by his brother Leofstan, 6 

 but the two manors did not continue in the same 

 hands. It seems probable that Walkern was the 

 ' manor of Derman, which Leofstan his brother held,' 

 given by William Rufus to Eudo Dapifer, for he 

 seems to have possessed the tithes of Walkern, and 

 the manor appears to have been subsequently held 

 by his successor Hamo de St. Clare, 7 who gave the 

 mill of Walkern to the church of St. Mary for the 

 souls of King Henry and Queen Maud and Eudo 

 Dapifer. 8 The manor passed from him and his wife 

 Gunnora to their son Hubert de St. Clare," who 

 was living in the reign of Stephen, and who died 

 in 1155."' Hubert's daughter and heir Gunnora 

 married William de Lanvaley, 11 whose son William 

 married Hawise daughter of Hugh de Bocland, 13 

 and was one of the barons appointed to impose the 

 observance of Magna Charta. Hawise survived 

 and died before I233, 13 her son William 

 iley 11 having apparently predeceased her, 

 daughter Hawise, the wife of John de 

 seems to have succeeded her grand- 

 : John dc Burgh's son John predeceased 

 his father about 1278, when John de Burgh, senior, 

 was said to be holding the manor by courtesy as 

 of the barony of Lanvaley, of the heirs of John 

 his son. 17 In 1 28 1 John granted to Ralph de 

 Ilauville, for his service and for 100 marks, 14 acres 

 of the demesne land 'lying between the croft that 

 belonged to Warin de Waukre and the Greneweye 

 and the Heldcburwcye, together with Richard de 

 Boxe, Ralph dc Boxe, William dc Boxe, William 

 Aumfrey, Godahuge, Stephen de Boxe, GeoFrey son 

 of Adam, Mila atte Holm, Isabella Ruald, Basilia 

 Wlmer, John son of the beadle, and Walter de Boxe, 

 formerly John's bondmen, with all their issue, 

 chattels and tenements held by them of John in 

 Walkern, rendering therefor two barbed arrows fledged 

 with peacock feathers yearly at Midsummer.' 18 John 

 de Burgh died shortly afterwards, leaving as his heirs 

 his two granddaughters Hawise widow of Robert 



Willia 



argh," 



'See V.C.H. Hern, ii, 118. 

 > r.«l. Pat. 1401-;, p. 201. 

 ,t Bk. Ind. AiL-jrd,, 64. 



WrottesltT, Fed. fr/n 



» V.C.H. Her 



i, 3+2J. 



i.St Jot. __, 



(Ro* burghs Club), i, :S. 



» f.C.H. Her,,. .', iS6 n. 



* Car,. My,. S,. hhn Baf 

 (Roxburgh^ Club), i, 156. 



.- Plea R. 



4.86 



I" Information from Mr. J. H. Round. 



11 Ibid. ; Can. Afon, Si. John Bap,, de 

 Colour. (Roxburghe Club), i, 147. 



" Ibid, 2CO, 202. 



13 Excerfia e Sot. Fin. (Rec. Com.), i, 



" Carl. Man. Si. Join Baft, dc Colceitr. 



(Roxburgh* Club), i, 201 ; Roi. de Ohlat. 

 ci Fin. (Rec. Com.), 372. 



" Burke, Dorm. a ,u< Exlivit Peerage,. 



1,1 Eicirpra t Roi. Fin. (Rcc. Com.), i, 

 269 ; A.»i !e R. 323. 



17 Burke, Dorm, and Extinct Peerage! ; 

 Assize R. 323 ; Feet of F. Dir. Co. 7 

 EJw. I, no. 12. 



11 Ca>. Chit, 1279-88, pp. 128-9. 



