Books on Hertfordshire

A Hertfordshire Valley

by Scott Hastie

photographs by David Spain

[Alpine Press Ltd, Kings Langley, 1996, ISBN 0952863103]

This is another well researched local history book by Scott Hastie, well illustrated by David Spain. It covers the settlements along the valleys of the Rivers Gade and Bulbourne and hence most of the Borough of Dacorum, and parts of the Borough of Watford. The places covered are from south to north: Cassiobury, The Grove, Langleybury, Hunton Bridge, Hazelwood, Abbots Langley, Leavesden Hospital, Bedmond, Kings Langley, Chipperfield, Shendish, Apsley, Abbots Hill, Boxmoor, Bovingdon, Westbrook Hay, Bourne End, Hemel Hempstead, Gadebridge, Piccotts End, Water End, Great Gaddesden, Potten End, Frithsden, Nettledon, Little Gaddesden, Ashridge, Berkhamsted, Northchurch, Wigginton, Tring Park, Tring, Pendley, Aldbury, Stocks.

Breakspear Farm, Bedmond
One of the very many photographs this book contains
(For more about the farm see Breakspear Farm, Bedmond, Abbots Langley)

Other chapters include Early Settlement, Royal Patronage, Agriculture, Road Development, History of the Canal, History of the Railway, Early Industry, First World War, Second World War, New Town Development. There is also a good bibliography.

Ashlyns Hall, Berkhamsted, home of Augustus Smith

The extracts on Box Lane Chapel  and The Booksellers Retreat, Abbots Langley illustrate the quality of the writing.

Page updated May 2006