Berkhamsted Walk: Town Centre【4K】

Located in the county of Hertfordshire, and around 25 miles northwest of central London, is the town of Berkhamsted.

The name 'Berkhamsted' is Saxon in origin and literally translates to 'settlement among the birches' or 'settlement among the hills'. It was here in 1066 that the Saxon leaders offered the crown of England to William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings. One of William's first initiatives was to fortify his new kingdom with castles. Not long afterwards, construction began on Berkhamsted Castle in the motte and bailey style.

Between 1066 and 1495 Berkhamsted Castle was a favoured residence of many notable figures, including Henry II, Thomas Becket, Edward, the Black Prince (son of Edward III) and Geoffrey Chaucer. The town was a producer of wool during the Medieval era, with a thriving market.

In 1495, following the death of Cicely Neville, Duchess of York, Berkhamsted Castle was abandoned and the town fell into decline. Meanwhile, the nearby town of Hemel Hempstead began to grow, and was granted a charter by Henry VIII just a few decades later.

In the pre-railway era, Berkhamsted became a key town on the coaching route between London and Birmingham. Horses and their passengers would rest overnight at coaching inns situated in the town. Then in 1798, the Grand Junction Canal reached Berkhamsted from London. The canal reached Birmingham by 1805, and would eventually become part of the Grand Union Canal in 1929. The canal allowed goods to be transported between London and Birmingham via the waterways.

In 1838 the railway reached Berkhamsted. This would become a stop along what is now the West Coast Main Line linking London to Glasgow via the West Midlands and North West England. Due to its proximity to London, Berkhamsted is ideally situated as a commuter town for those working in the capital as trains into Euston Station take under an hour to arrive.

During the First World War, around 12,000 men travelled from Berkhamsted to the Western Front. Before leaving, they had been given extensive training in trench digging. Several miles of trenches were dug on Berkhamsted Common as practice.

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Filmed: 29th August 2021

Link to the walk on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/qQ5UN7JS1Jm9hrUC7

Filmed on a Sony FDR-AX700 with a Zhiyun Crane 2 and a Sony ECM-XYST1M Stereo Microphone.

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 Grand Union Canal (originally Grand Junction Canal until 1929)
0:51 Ravens Lane
4:11 High Street
6:25 St Peter's Church
6:35 High Street