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

Fuelled by interest in the Knights Templar, The Illumunati and the quest for the Holy Grail following publication of Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code Hertford Castle came under increased media scrutiny in 2007.

This coincided with requests from descendants of the Knights Templar for the Pope to issue an apology for the persecution of the Order on the 700th anniversary of the slaughter on October 13th 1307.

Hertford Town Council which has its administration offices and council meetings in the castle was besieged by requests from TV and radio stations including BBC2, Australia’s 60 minutes programme and Germany’s ZDF TV for access to the castle’s dungeons. Their requests were based on the original article by Raymond Brown in the Hertfordshire Mercury in 2004.

The Tunnels of Hertford - Pt.2

These requests were politely refused on the grounds that no dungeons exist in Hertford Castle, nor did any secret underground tunnels. The reasoning has been explained in the previous pages but a modern myth grew up in the town about the existence of medieval dungeons which many people claimed to have seen.

In 1801 the Marquess of Downshire whose family had purchased the castle from Charles 1 in 1628 placed it up for sale. The description read: ‘basement to include a remarkably good kitchen, housekeepers rooms, stewards room, servants hall.’

The exit from the basement

No sale took place but in 1920 a strong room was constructed in the basement, formerly the kitchen.

In 1995 Margaret Hart of Harts Haberdashery organised the first Medieval Night. A late shopping night in November to kick start Christmas shopping when shops stayed open late, there was a fireworks display, fairground, family entertainment and retailers and schools dressed in medieval costume to raise money for charity.

One of the attractions was a tour of Hertford Castle which culminated with a tour down to the dungeons. These were actually the storerooms as they were in 1801 and possibly since Henry V111 rebuilt the gatehouse. They looked authentic because the lights were dimmed and members of the Hertford Drama and Operatic Society dressed as prisoners amidst straw and skeletons and moaned and groaned and begged for mercy and food.

Thus grew the myth that there were dungeons in the castle. Medieval Night continued until 2003 but tours of the castle still take place. You are guided from the entrance, up the stairs to the Mayor’s Robing Room, down the spiral staircase and into the ‘dungeons’. You are let out into the open air through a side Door.

There are no dungeons. One of the strong rooms contains nothing more than a collection of diversion and other traffic signs for use on Medieval Night, Fun Day and other Civic Events. I know, as I have used them since 2002

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Tunnels 1               Tunnels  3