The Tunnels of Hertford - the Knights Templar and the Holy Grail

Hertford Castle

Hertford was founded in 913AD when Edward the Elder established two burghs or settlements on either side of the River Lea (or Lee). This was one of the few safe places for many miles to cross the river and is how Hertford is said to have got its name – from the harts (or deer) who came to drink the water from the ford.

 

It was not until the arrival of William the Conqueror who began to build large earthen mounds topped by a strong wooden tower, and later of stone that what we have come to know as the ‘motte and bailey’ castle was established.

 

The motte became the keep which was the last refuge of the defenders against attack. The bailey referred to the area inside the castle walls (see left for what remains of the motte).

 

Hertford Castle was further fortified from attack by a wall around the perimeter and a double moat which was dug from the north west corner where the River Lea ran past and around the north, east and southern sides.

 

In common with many others Hertford Castle was built not so much as protection as to overawe the local population.

 

In 1170 Henry II enlarged and strengthened the motte and bailey castle in line with military fashion at the time. It became a vital part of the ring of outer defence of London along with Windsor, Berkhamstead, Stortford and Rayleigh.

 

The improvements were completed by 1173 and remained up until the time of this map of 1588.

 

The cost of improvements and repairs were continuous entries in the records of Hertford Castle from this date until the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1. It remained a royal castle although leased to loyal subjects and every monarch had at one time stayed there. Hertford is a short journey from London and offered good facilities for hunting, riding, falconry and other country pursuits – a description that would not be too far out of place today.

 

 

Richard 1 was too occupied with the crusades to worry much about Hertford but King John appointed Walter de Godorvil as governor who set about garrisoning the castle and strengthening the fortifications and outer walls.

 

This was a time of civil unrest and Louis of France under invitation from English barons was attacking parts of John’s kingdom.

 

When Henry 111 succeeded John the barons turned on Louis but he continued his campaign and laid siege to Hertford Castle on 11 November 1216. Walter de Godorvil put up a valiant battle and prevented the French from undermining the castle walls. The siege ended after almost three weeks on 6 December when Godorvil was forced to surrender. By 1217 Louis’ case was lost when he was defeated at Lincoln and he left the country.

 

Even by the middle of the fourteenth century castles had stopped being effective for defensive purposes and many lords, nobles and kings destroyed them to make themselves a palace with newly-acquired stone and land. When Henry V111 acceded to the throne he had a similar ambition for the royal palaces and Hertford was included in this.

 

A new gatehouse (see above) was built on the foundations of the old one using larger bricks that had come into fashion by the 1530’s. Elizabeth was the last monarch to live at Hertford Castle and its usage in future centuries was as a private house following the sale by Charles 1 to William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Salisbury in 1628.

 

By that time there was little left of the original castle and buildings for in a survey commissioned in 1609 found a gatehouse, a brick tower, old walls and three old houses.

 

In 1789 the Marquess of Downshire attempted to continue the castle’s transformation into a mansion. He blew up the two wings of the gatehouse with dynamite as traditional means of demolition failed. The alterations left the gatehouse almost as it appears today with a new south wing.

 

It was leased to the East India Company and then Haileybury College in the early nineteenth century

 

In 1911 James Edward Hubert Gascoyne Cecil, 4th Marquess of Salisbury leased it to the town for a peppercorn rent to be used as municipal offices and a public garden.

 

All that now remains is the gatehouse constructed by Henry V111 and sections of the outer wall. The two civic rooms in the south wing mentioned above are named the ‘Salisbury Rooms’ and the ‘Downshire Suite’ after the Marquess of Salisbury and the town relief road named Gascoyne Way.

 

Visit BBC Shop for all your history needs.

 

Past Times has over 20 years of gift retail experience and a reputation for selling exceptional quality products inspired by some of the great artistic periods in history.

An introduction       Bayley Hall