Markyate
Encyclopedia
Markyate is a village
and civil parish in north-west Hertfordshire
close to the border with Bedfordshire
and Buckinghamshire
.
which has occasionally flooded the centre of the village, though the watercourse is often dry during parts of the year.
Part of the Dacorum
Borough Council district (centred on Hemel Hempstead
), it has Luton
(01582) phone numbers and a St Albans
postal code (AL3). Although historically a rural and agricultural area it is now a dormitory village for Luton and the surrounding region as it also lies a short distance from the M1 motorway
.
Lying on Watling Street
, the Roman road
(now the A5), between St Albans
and Dunstable
it was a major coaching
stop on the highway
from London
to Birmingham
, at one point having over forty inns and public house
s along its main road, and the village was one of the earliest sites of the Pickfords
transport service, one road out of the village being named Pickford Road. During the twelfth century Christina of Markyate
was the Prioress of a Benedictine
community in the area.
The village lies near the junction of the A5 and the B4540 (for Luton and Caddington
). A bypass for the A5 was constructed to the east of the village in 1955. South along the A5 is Flamstead and junction 9 of the M1.
, slow expansion melded them into the current village area, though most growth since the 1950s has been by in-filling with new housing in what was the gap between the old A5 High Street and the new A5 Markyate by-pass.
The Gainsborough
film The Wicked Lady
was based on events surrounding the life of Lady Katherine Ferrers
— the wife of the major landowner in the area – at Markyate Cell. Parts of the film The Dirty Dozen
were also filmed in the village and surrounding area, the stockade
being built in the grounds of the local preparatory school.
Markyate was scene of one of the first motoring accidents in the United Kingdom.
(independent). The latter is located in Beechwood Park, the site of a former Benedictine nunnery and satellite airfield during WW2. Beechwood Park lent its name to a song by The Zombies, written by the group's bassist Chris White, who lived in Markyate. The song has since been covered by Beck Hansen
.
From its height in the coaching era, only three public houses remain in the village; The Plume of Feathers, The Sun Inn and The Swan. The White Hart closed in the early 1970s followed by The Red Lion at the end of 2009, both became private dwellings. Given its proximity to M1 Motorway and London Luton Airport, a large three-star hotel is located within the village.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and civil parish in north-west Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
close to the border with Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
and Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
.
Geography
Having a number of former names, including Markyate Street and Mergyate, it has been a part of all three counties since it was first founded as the county boundaries have changed over the years. At one point the boundary was the line of the main road itself; Hertfordshire to the east and Bedfordshire to the west. Markyate is located close to the source of the River VerRiver Ver
The Ver is a river in Hertfordshire, England. The river begins in the grounds of Markyate Cell, and flows south for 12 miles alongside Watling Street through Flamstead, Redbourn, St Albans and Park Street, and joins the River Colne at Bricket Wood....
which has occasionally flooded the centre of the village, though the watercourse is often dry during parts of the year.
Part of the Dacorum
Dacorum
The Borough of Dacorum is a local government district in Hertfordshire, England that includes the towns of Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Tring and Kings Langley. The district, which was formed in 1974, had a population of 137,799 in 2001...
Borough Council district (centred on Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead is a town in Hertfordshire in the East of England, to the north west of London and part of the Greater London Urban Area. The population at the 2001 Census was 81,143 ....
), it has Luton
Luton
Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
(01582) phone numbers and a St Albans
St Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
postal code (AL3). Although historically a rural and agricultural area it is now a dormitory village for Luton and the surrounding region as it also lies a short distance from the M1 motorway
M1 motorway
The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
.
Lying on Watling Street
Watling Street
Watling Street is the name given to an ancient trackway in England and Wales that was first used by the Britons mainly between the modern cities of Canterbury and St Albans. The Romans later paved the route, part of which is identified on the Antonine Itinerary as Iter III: "Item a Londinio ad...
, the Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
(now the A5), between St Albans
St Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
and Dunstable
Dunstable
Dunstable is a market town and civil parish located in Bedfordshire, England. It lies on the eastward tail spurs of the Chiltern Hills, 30 miles north of London. These geographical features form several steep chalk escarpments most noticeable when approaching Dunstable from the north.-Etymology:In...
it was a major coaching
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
stop on the highway
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, at one point having over forty inns and public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s along its main road, and the village was one of the earliest sites of the Pickfords
Pickfords
Pickfords is a moving company based in the United Kingdom, part of the Moving Services Group UK Ltd.The business is believed to have been founded in the 17th century, making it one of the UK's oldest functioning companies. The earliest record is of a William Pickford, a carrier who worked south of...
transport service, one road out of the village being named Pickford Road. During the twelfth century Christina of Markyate
Christina of Markyate
Christina of Markyate was born in Huntingdon, England c. 1095–1100, and died perhaps after 1155. As a young girl or adolescent, named Theodora, she took a vow of chastity, so her parents' attempts to force her unwillingly into marriage led her to run away from home and go into hiding under the care...
was the Prioress of a Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
community in the area.
The village lies near the junction of the A5 and the B4540 (for Luton and Caddington
Caddington
Caddington is a village and civil parish in the Central Bedfordshire district of Bedfordshire, England. It is between the Dunstable/Luton urban area , and Hertfordshire ....
). A bypass for the A5 was constructed to the east of the village in 1955. South along the A5 is Flamstead and junction 9 of the M1.
History
Initially two adjacent hamlets – Markyate and Humbershoe – separated by the road towards BerkhamstedBerkhamsted
-Climate:Berkhamsted experiences an oceanic climate similar to almost all of the United Kingdom.-Castle:...
, slow expansion melded them into the current village area, though most growth since the 1950s has been by in-filling with new housing in what was the gap between the old A5 High Street and the new A5 Markyate by-pass.
The Gainsborough
Gainsborough Pictures
Gainsborough Pictures was a British film studio based on the south bank of the Regent's Canal, in Poole Street, Hoxton in the former Metropolitan Borough of Shoreditch, London. Gainsborough Studios were active between 1924 and 1951. Built as a power station for the Great Northern & City Railway it...
film The Wicked Lady
The Wicked Lady
The Wicked Lady is a 1945 film starring Margaret Lockwood in the title role as a nobleman's wife who secretly becomes a highwayman for the excitement...
was based on events surrounding the life of Lady Katherine Ferrers
Lady Katherine Ferrers
Lady Katherine Fanshaw was, according to popular legend, the "Wicked Lady", a highwaywoman who terrorised Nomansland common in the English county of Hertfordshire in the 17th century before bleeding to death from gunshot wounds sustained during a robbery.-Legend:The legend is fairly well...
— the wife of the major landowner in the area – at Markyate Cell. Parts of the film The Dirty Dozen
The Dirty Dozen
The Dirty Dozen is a 1967 film directed by Robert Aldrich and released by MGM. It was filmed in England and features an ensemble cast, including Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, Jim Brown, John Cassavetes, Telly Savalas, and Robert Webber. The film is based on E. M...
were also filmed in the village and surrounding area, the stockade
Stockade
A stockade is an enclosure of palisades and tall walls made of logs placed side by side vertically with the tops sharpened to provide security.-Stockade as a security fence:...
being built in the grounds of the local preparatory school.
Markyate was scene of one of the first motoring accidents in the United Kingdom.
Facilities
Markyate has two junior schools, Markyate JMI (state) and Beechwood Park SchoolBeechwood Park School
Beechwood Park School, also familiarly referred to as "Beechwood", is a co-educational independent day and boarding school in Hertfordshire in England, UK for reception to year 8. It is set on the site of an old Mansion house with extensions put in over the last 50 years including the junior...
(independent). The latter is located in Beechwood Park, the site of a former Benedictine nunnery and satellite airfield during WW2. Beechwood Park lent its name to a song by The Zombies, written by the group's bassist Chris White, who lived in Markyate. The song has since been covered by Beck Hansen
Beck
Beck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
.
From its height in the coaching era, only three public houses remain in the village; The Plume of Feathers, The Sun Inn and The Swan. The White Hart closed in the early 1970s followed by The Red Lion at the end of 2009, both became private dwellings. Given its proximity to M1 Motorway and London Luton Airport, a large three-star hotel is located within the village.
Notable residents
- William CowperWilliam CowperWilliam Cowper was an English poet and hymnodist. One of the most popular poets of his time, Cowper changed the direction of 18th century nature poetry by writing of everyday life and scenes of the English countryside. In many ways, he was one of the forerunners of Romantic poetry...
, who was sent to boarding schoolBoarding schoolA boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
here between the ages of four and eight years old. - Lady Katherine FerrersLady Katherine FerrersLady Katherine Fanshaw was, according to popular legend, the "Wicked Lady", a highwaywoman who terrorised Nomansland common in the English county of Hertfordshire in the 17th century before bleeding to death from gunshot wounds sustained during a robbery.-Legend:The legend is fairly well...
, according to popular legend, the "Wicked Lady", a 17th century highwaywoman. - Nicholas Lyell, Baron Lyell of Markyate, British Conservative politician and Attorney GeneralAttorney General for England and WalesHer Majesty's Attorney General for England and Wales, usually known simply as the Attorney General, is one of the Law Officers of the Crown. Along with the subordinate Solicitor General for England and Wales, the Attorney General serves as the chief legal adviser of the Crown and its government in...
. - Chris WhiteChris White (musician)Chris White was the bass guitarist and songwriter with the 60s British Invasion band The Zombies.Although born in Barnet, Hertfordshire, he was brought up in Markyate where his parents owned a village shop...
, bass player and songwriter of The ZombiesThe ZombiesThe Zombies are an English rock band, formed in 1961 in St Albans and led by Rod Argent, on piano and keyboards, and vocalist Colin Blunstone. The group scored a UK and US hit in 1964 with "She's Not There"...
rock group, grew up in the village, where his parents owned a grocery store. - Sir Charles Masefield, head of DESO (1994-1998) vice chairman of BAE (2002-2005?) and a trustee of the Qatar Foundation. Knighted in 1997 for services to industry.
- Martin BensonMartin Benson (actor)Martin Benjamin Benson was an English character actor, who appeared in films, theatre and television. He appeared in both British and Hollywood productions.-Career:...
(10 August 1918 – 28 February 2010) was an English character actor, who appeared in films, theatre and television. He appeared in both British and Hollywood productions. He lived and died in the village.
External links
- Markyate Local History Society
- Humbershoe pages at the Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records ServiceBedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records ServiceThe Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service is a county record office, holding archival material associated with Bedfordshire and Luton. Established in 1913 by George Herbert Fowler as the Bedfordshire Record Office, it was the first county record office in England. It is located in...
- Primary school
- Village history (A Guide to Old Hertfordshire)
- Christina of Markyate
- Markyate Amateur Dramatics Society (MADS)
- Pictures from Geograph TL0616