The modern appearance of this town belies its history as it was already well established by the time of its appearance in the Doomsday Book of 1086 (as Chestrehunt). The colourful Old Pond marks the traditional centre of the town although to the west lies the historical Churchgate area which includes Bishops’ College, St Mary’s Church, Whit Hern Park and the 16th century Green Dragon Inn.
It was here at Pengelly, which burnt down in 1888, that the Cromwell family lived and the grandson of the Lord Protector lies buried in the churchyard.
To the east is a prosperous business centre with offices, warehouses and factories.
New – A guide to St Mary’s Churchyard
The Great Cambridge Road, Cheshunt
The dual carriageway of the A10 bisects the district, and being the first area of derestricted speed when leaving London it was characteristic of most motorists to drive at, or perhaps over, the maximum permitted speed.
Cedars Past – The Royal Palace
The Enfield Archaeological Society, working with Broxbourne Council and Lowewood Museum, opened trenches at Cedars Park – the site of Theobalds Palace, on July 12th and 13th during National Archaeology Week.
Cheshunt at War
Cheshunt at War tells the story of the war years as they affected a small town in Hertfordshire 14 miles north of London.
It recounts the privations and the dangers, the hard work and the leisure, the tragedies and joys of life between 1939 and 1945.
Cheshunt Church
The ancient parish church of Cheshunt, is dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin. The ancient burial ground was used from earliest times to 1855, since when only vaults have been re-opened and no further burials have taken place.
Cheshunt’s early history
To understand anything of Cheshunt’s early history it is essential to know a little of the geography of the area. The town is situated in the valley of the River Lea, the hills of Essex rising fairly sharply to the east, whilst the ground takes a more gentle rise towards the western boundary.
Large Houses for Gentlemen in Cheshunt
During the eighteenth century considerable building took place in the district, notably houses for gentlemen from the metropolis. This included a considerable amount of ribbon development on the old main road.
Medieval Cheshunt
The abbey of Waltham must have had a considerable effect on the everyday life of the people of Cheshunt. The abbey held a large part of the manor of Wormley, granted to them in Saxon times and retained by them under Norman rule.
The Manorial System – Cheshunt
After the Norman conquest Britain was divided up amongst the Norman lords, although the divisions of the kingdom established by King Alfred were largely retained. These were the shires, divided into hundreds, and each hundred into its towns and villages.
The Romans at Cheshunt
The invasion of Julius Caesar in 55 B.C. had little effect locally and it was not until the Claudion invasion nearly a hundred years later that the Roman began to subjugate Britain. Cheshunt was within the territory of the Catuvellauni, ruled by Cassivellaunus, whose capital was Verulam, near the modern town of St. Albans.
The Saxons at Cheshunt
In the tenth century the marauding Danes sailed up the Lea to plunder the towns of Hertford and Ware. In the year 984 it is recorded that King Aflred dammed the Lea at its junction with the Thames at Blackwall and dug drainage ditches south of Waltham, thus reducing the depth of water in the Lea further upstream.
