May 2020 - John Barber, Author

Fore Street – Solved!!

I spent more years than I can remember at the Hertford Transport Forum discussing the vexed question of Fore Street.

Or more precisely the western end of Fore Street which connects it to Parliament Square.

There was no argument that this small section of road created more questions than answers. It also created a rat run through the town for motorists wanting to avoid the eastern direction on Gascoyne Way.

It was noted in the Hertford Urban Design Strategy that ‘traffic entering from the west creates a conflict between pedestrians, cars, buses and cyclists.

‘Furthermore, the western end of Fore Street is two-way for buses but not wide enough to allow two vehicles to pass without either mounting the kerb or using the designated give way area, which is often ignored by motorists. This in turn creates damage to the footway which is costly to maintain and repair.’

They failed to mention that although it was two-way for buses it was only one way for all other vehicles including taxis. They also overlooked that at one time it was home to the country’s shortest cycle route – about two metres! Perhaps the shortest in Europe – or the world!

Then as if by magic Hertford County Council solved the problem overnight by blocking Fore Street just before Church Street.

Now no vehicles be they buses, cars, taxis or forty foot pantechnicons can access Fore Street from the west.

As we all knew at the Transport Forum there was a problem with denying access to Fore Street from Parliament Square. How do you police it in the softest possible way? Not now. You just can’t drive through it.

Even the HUDS report saw the odd drawback. ‘Restricting the use of the western section of Fore Street to buses, cyclists and pedestrians would also limit access to the town centre and Folly Island for those travelling from the west. This could result in additional vehicle miles and an increase to journey times for residents, visitors and servicing vehicles.’

What they were trying to say was that there would be an increase in traffic along Gascoyne Way leading to traffic jams, high density of traffic and fumes, delayed arrivals, longer public transport journeys and shorter tempers.

However the general consensus formed from various council and public consultations was that overall people were in favour of it. See graph below.

The HUDS study thought that permanent closure should be a long term aim but HCC have smashed that theory.

It is no time to be rejoicing as this was as a result of the pandemic but it will be interesting to see what the effects of closure are and if they are going to be made permanent.

Update July 2020

The barriers have been replaced with a planter.

This doesn’t help Hitesh in Gays Newsagents who has been plagued by Highways and all other types of roadworks ever since I can remember.

Apparently you can comment on this enforced pedestrianisation at the I Love Hertford Facebook page.

All my previous posts archived here.

27th May 2020

by : John Barber Hertford blog

Seed Warehouse

The Seed Warehouse houses the Mill Bridge Rooms which are owned by Hertford Town Council and can be hired by small groups for meetings.

The truth is that the Seed Warehouse is a Tardis.

You could almost walk past it, unaware of its existence down a narrow alleyway, squeezed between a newsagents and a fast food shop in Mill Bridge, almost opposite Castle Hall and next to the bus stop.

The Seed Warehouse stretches down that alleyway in Maidenhead Yard about a hundred yards or more to the left down to the River Lea.

The ground floor houses almost 90% of artefacts belonging to Hertford Museum. There is more here than in the Museum in Bull Plain. It is not open to the general public except on special ‘open days’.

On such an event take the opportunity to walk around and view things abut Hertford you didn’t know existed. My office was on the first floor and I always took advantage of those times when Museum staff were working in the stores to mooch around.

This was when I was Town Centre Manager. I had to relocate as the Museum needed space to house all the items in Bull Plain as well as staff and volunteer helpers, whilst the redevelopment of that building took place.

I was sad to leave. My office looked out over the Lea on to the Riverside decking of the Woolpack pub.

One of the tenants I introduced to the Seed Warehouse was City Water.

They worked from the top floor but before doing so cleared an inch of dust from the skirting boards and wooden beams, laid carpet, installed lighting, toilet blocks and a kitchen amongst many other improvements. The walls were re-painted heritage cream and the wooden beams stained dark brown.

The left hand photo shows kitchen mid-right and the dining area/IT space at the back. The right hand photo was taken a few yards back showing a small re-furbished office.

Unfortunately we didn’t think of taking a ‘before’ photo but here are two shots of how the top floor looked before furniture was in place.

The Directors tried to make the interior of the Seed Warehouse reflect the building’s past.

Over the front door a large reproduction of a photo taken when a World War Two bomb hit Mill Bridge was mounted against the wall with branches, an air raid siren and hopefully a defused bomb.

On the right as you walk in is a Roman corn drier preserved in a temperature controlled and air conditioned room and once again , only opened to visitors on special occasions.

There is a large antique photo enlarger set on the space by the stairs, rescued from the Museum stores.

All this may still be there. I haven’t been inside for a long time. You may ask what this is all about. Well, Chase New Homes have submitted amended plans for Bircherley Green.

They claim they are trying to re-create Hertford’s brewing past. The Seed Warehouse is but one building on the old maltings area and here were sited the wharves Chase mention.

However you will notice that these are not high rise buildings:

The new plans as submitted by Chase maintain the previous height; ground floor commercial units and four floors above for apartments.

The one interesting added feature is the false walkway between Buildings A and B. I am sure they are identical to those found in busier and more industrial locations such as the Thames where much of the barley and malt from Hertford was bound during the heady days in the nineteenth century. (see my article on Brewing in Hertford)

They do not fit too well here.

There is not much more I can say about this planning application but to refer you to the page where you can view all the amended plans and documents and links to register your own comment:

Here is my own letter registering my objection.

letter of objection Download

The one thing I am beginning to hear more and more is that residents would have anything built rather than Bircherley Green left to rot any further.

The photos of the Seed Warehouse and Adams & co are from ‘Our Hertford and Ware’ chapter on Hertford’s Riverside Yards.

All my previous posts archived here:

18th May 2020

Month: May 2020

Fore Street – Solved!!

Seed Warehouse

Hertford blog posts