Sawbridgeworth
Sawbridgeworth | ||
---|---|---|
Shire county | ||
Region | ||
Country | England | |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom | |
Post town | Sawbridgeworth | |
Postcode district | CM21 | |
Dialling code | 01279 | |
Police | Hertfordshire | |
Fire | Hertfordshire | |
Ambulance | East of England | |
UK Parliament | ||
Sawbridgeworth is a town and
History
Prior to the
The Manor of "Sabrixteworde" (one of the many spellings previously associated with the town) was recorded in the
The Great Hyde Hall mansion and surrounding land was acquired by Sir Walter Lawrence, the master builder, in the 1920s. In 1934, he instituted the Walter Lawrence Trophy for the fastest century in county cricket.[2] He built a cricket ground and pavilion in the grounds where the great and the good of the cricket world came to play against Sir Walter's home team, which often included his three sons: Jim, Guy and Pat. Sir Walter also had two daughters: Molly and Gipsy. Great Hyde Hall was sold in 1945 and became a school. It is a Grade II* listed building and has now been divided into housing.[3]
Much of the town centre is a conservation area; many of the buildings date from the Tudor, Stuart and Georgian periods.
Great St Mary's Church is a Grade I listed building; "of special interest as a substantially unaltered large medieval parish church, typical of the Hertfordshire type, and with an outstanding collection of memorials of the highest artistic quality".
The town's prosperity came from the
By the time of the
During the
Sawbridgeworth was the birthplace of composer Bernard Rose (1916–1996) and the actor Stephen Greif (1944–2022).
Sawbridgeworth has been twinned with Bry-sur-Marne in France since 1973.
Governance
Parliamentary representation
Sawbridgeworth is in the
Local government
Sawbridgeworth has three tiers of local government, at parish (town), district, and county level: Sawbridgeworth Town Council,
Sawbridgeworth | |||
---|---|---|---|
Urban District (1901–1974) | |||
Council Offices, The Forebury, Sawbridgeworth | |||
| |||
Population | |||
• 1901 | 2,085 | ||
• 1971 | 7,000[9] | ||
History | |||
• Created | 1 April 1901 | ||
• Abolished | 31 March 1974 | ||
• Succeeded by | East Hertfordshire | ||
• HQ | Sawbridgeworth | ||
Contained within | |||
• County Council | Hertfordshire | ||
The parish of Sawbridgeworth was in the
Until 1914 Sawbridgeworth Urban District Council met at offices on Bell Street (sometimes called Cock Street).[13][14] In 1914 the council moved to the upper floor of the town's fire station at 5 Church Street, which had been built in 1905. In 1937 the council built itself new offices on The Forebury, holding its first meeting in the new building on 5 July 1937.[15]
Sawbridgeworth Urban District Council was granted a coat of arms on 20 July 1962.[16]
The urban district was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972, becoming part of East Hertfordshire on 1 April 1974. A successor parish (and Sawbridgeworth Town Council) was created for the former urban district.[17] The urban district council's former offices on The Forebury are now used as the town's library, whilst Sawbridgeworth Town Council is based at Sayesbury Manor on Bell Street.[18]
Fire service
The town has an on-call fire station, in Station Road, with one fire engine. Sawbridgeworth had its own fire brigade from 1897 until it was merged into the National Fire Service in 1941.[19] In 1948 control of the local fire brigade passed to the Hertfordshire Fire Brigade, since renamed the Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, run by Hertfordshire County Council.[20]
Geography
Sawbridgeworth adjoins the border between Hertfordshire and Essex. The village of Lower Sheering is across the county boundary into Essex, and adjoins Sawbridgeworth along its eastern edge, east of the railway station and of the River Stort. It has a Sawbridgeworth postal address, but is in the Epping Forest District of Essex.
Geology
Underlying the town at some depth is the London Clay stratum, with a thick layer of Boulder clay laid down during the ice ages, including the Anglian. The soil on top of this is a loam, with glacial erratics of Hertfordshire puddingstone conglomerate found around the town.
Education
Sawbridgeworth has a secondary school, the
Media
Sawbridgeworth is within the BBC London and ITV London region. Television signals are received from the Crystal Palace TV transmitter,[21] BBC East and ITV Anglia can also be received from the Sandy Heath transmitter.[22]
Local radio stations are BBC Three Counties Radio, Heart Hertfordshire and East Herts Radio, a community-based station.[23]
The town is served by the local newspapers, Bishop's Stortford Independent and Hertfordshire Mercury.[24][25]
Sport
Sawbridgeworth Cricket Club field three senior sides on a Saturday and seven colts sides, from ages nine to fifteen. The 1st XI plays in the Hertfordshire Cricket League. The main ground is Town Fields, situated behind Bell Street. The second ground is at Leventhorpe Academy.
Sawbridgeworth has tennis and bowls clubs.
Local groups
Sawbridgeworth is home to 309 Squadron of the Air Training Corps.[26]
Transport
The
The town is served by Sawbridgeworth railway station, located on the West Anglia Main Line between London Liverpool Street and Cambridge. The station and all trains serving it are operated by Greater Anglia.
There are bus services to
See also
Nearby villages
Notable people
- Alexander Annesley (c. 1753 - 1813), lawyer
- David Beckham (1975-), former England captain, and singer Victoria Beckham (1974-) lived in Rowneybury House.[27][28]
- King Henry VIII, held Pishioburyuntil her execution.
- Robert Jocelyn, 1st Viscount Jocelyn (c.1688-1756), Lord Chancellor of Ireland; he was a member of the Jocelyn family of Hyde Hall.
- Pip Pyle (1950-2006), progressive rock drummer, particularly of Canterbury scene bands.
- Thomas Rivers (1797-1878), nurseryman.
- Elizabeth Rivers (1903-1964), artist.
- Rowland Alston (1782–1865), MP for Hertfordshire from 1835 to 1841.
- John Stanier (British Army officer), Chief of the General Staff of the British Army from 1982 to 1985.
- Frank Silcock (1838-1897), first-class cricketer and founding member of Essex County Cricket Club.
- Christine Walkden, television presenter and gardener.[29]
References
- ^ "Sawbridgeworth Parish". NOMIS. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
- ^ "Walter Lawrence Trophy History". Retrieved 22 November 2017.
- ^ Historic England. "Great Hyde Hall (Grade II*) (1347838)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
- ^ Historic England. "Parish Church of Great St Mary's, Sawbridgeworth (Grade I) (1101668)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
- ^ Sawbridgeworth Church bells
- ISBN 9780340165973.
- ^ "RAF Sawbridgeworth". Archived from the original on 14 May 2008. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
- ^ "De Havilland Aircraft: DH 98 Mosquito: Suppliers". Grace's Guide. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
- ^ "Sawbridgeworth Urban District, A Vision of Britain through Time". GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
- ^ "Sawbridgeworth Ancient Parish / Civil Parish". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
- ^ Higginbotham, Peter. "Bishop's Stortford Poor Law Union". The Workhouse. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
- ^ Annual Report of the Local Government Board. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office. 1901. p. 344. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
- ^ Kelly's Directory of Hertfordshire. London. 1902. p. 196. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Kelly's Directory of Hertfordshire. London. 1914. p. 235. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ "Sawbridgeworth Urban District Council: First meeting in new offices". Herts and Essex Observer. Bishop's Stortford. 10 July 1937. p. 3. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
- ^ "Sawbridgeworth Town Council". Civic Heraldry. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
- ^ The Local Government (Successor Parishes) Order. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. 1973. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
- ^ "Contact us". Sawbridgeworth Town Council. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
- ^ "Sawbridgeworth Fire Brigade". Retrieved 26 December 2021.
- ^ "Sawbridgeworth Fire Station". Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
- ^ "Full Freeview on the Crystal Palace (Greater London, England) transmitter". UK Free TV. 1 May 2004. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
- ^ "Full Freeview on the Sandy Heath (Central Bedfordshire, England) transmitter". UK Free TV. 1 May 2004. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
- ^ "East Herts Radio". Retrieved 22 November 2023.
- ^ "Sawbridgeworth News - Bishop's Stortford Independent". Retrieved 22 November 2023.
- ^ "Hertfordshire Mercury". British Papers. 13 April 2014. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
- ^ "309 (Sawbridgeworth) Squadron, Air Training Corps (ATC) - ATC (Air Cadets) Squadron Finder".
- ^ Stuart, Julia (31 July 2001). "Beckingham Palace, our lovely home". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 28 December 2007. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
- ^ Hill, Patrick (15 March 2014). "Inside 'Beckingham Palace': David and Victoria's mansion bought by insurance tycoon for £11.3million". Daily Mirror. UK. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
- ^ "Christine's Garden". Great British Life. 25 May 2011. Retrieved 11 May 2022.