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Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm

Register Office Block County Hall

Hertfordshire Archives And Local Studies

Name: Hertfordshire Archives And Local Studies
Address: Register Office Block County Hall, Hertford, SG138EJ, GB
Telephone: +443001234049

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Hertfordshire Archives And Local Studies

Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies is the specialist centre for the discovery of Hertfordshire's heritage from 1060 to the present day.

02/09/2026

Our dedicated Digitisation Volunteers have worked hard to digitise the entire ten volume set of 'Knowsley Clutterbuck': Grangerised copy of Robert Clutterbuck's History and Antiquities of the County of Hertford, dated 1640 - c1841, helping to digitally preserve a wealth of images such as this vibrant Welwyn street scene c1832 (Ref: DZ/119/7/492A).

The artist was British draughtsman and painter George Sidney Shepherd, one of the founding members of the resurrected New Society of Painters in Watercolours.

31/08/2026

For this week's we have some details from the Abbots Langley Tithe Map of 1839 drawn by John Godman, surveyor (ref: DSA4/63/2).

This map measures 135 x 88 inches - that's 3.4 x 2.2 metres - that's a lot of map! As you can see here, we have to unroll these larger maps section by section as this size does not fit fully on our map table.

Did you know the plot numbers shown on tithe maps link to tithe apportionment books which reveal who owned and occupied each parcel of land?

These apportionment books also give the acreage of each piece of land and whether it was arable or pastoral.

Shown here is detail of Bedmond Village, Nash Mill and Abbots Hill. If you look closely at images 3 and 4, you can see Sheepeys Farm (which want to assume may have had sheep 🐑, but not necessarily!) and Breakspears Farm.

Abbots Langley Library

28/08/2026

Shown here in these self-posed photographs is Frederick Henry Stingemore (1890 - 1954). Stingemore was a very accomplished amateur photographer who lived in west Hertfordshire. He worked for the Temple Press before was employed from 1919 by Underground Electric Railways of London as an artist, drawing many of the maps and illustrations used in publicity material in the 1920s, and continued to work for London Transport until his death.

He married Maude Alice Chalkley at Dartford, Kent in 1914 and moved to Radlett soon after getting married. At the time of his death he was living at 17 Beech Avenue, survived by Maude, who was the main beneficiary of his will.

The Stingemore collection consists of around 10,000 photographs taken by Frederick Henry Stingemore between 1909 and about 1939. The photographs are all in the form of glass negatives; no contemporary prints are included in the collection. The photographs consist mainly of views of the countryside, taken mainly in London and the Home Counties and on holidays in the West Country, North Yorkshire and the Lake District. The collection contains few portraits, but there are a few photographs of Stingemore himself, including some of him in his office).

Photo refs (DE/Sg/1060/7, DE/Sg/306/3 and DE/Sg/666/2). The collection can be explored online through our Archive Catalogue using the collection identifier DE/Sg.

Radlett Library

26/08/2026

👀 Everyone's talking about 1066...

While the Bayeux Tapestry is attracting huge attention at the British Museum, did you know that we hold remarkable treasures from the same era and beyond?

Join us for 1060 and Beyond: Early Treasures in the Archives and discover some of our oldest surviving documents, dating from 1060 through to the late medieval period. From beautiful early manuscripts to fascinating medieval records, this illustrated talk offers a unique glimpse into Hertfordshire's past.

📅 Tuesday 8 September 2026
⏰ 7.00pm to 8.00pm
📍 Hertfordshire Archives & Local Studies, Hertford
🎟 £7.00

Book now: www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/hals

#1066

24/08/2026

Spotted in this bundle of notes and lists of lands held in Hitchin this part of a poster which advertises for auction "A rick of good meadow hay - about 12 loads, two good light Iron-armed harvest Carts, a chaise cart, ploughs, harrows, farming implements, and effects" at the Black Horse near Hitchin. Sadly, only part of the poster has survived to be used as writing paper, and the poster is undated, but the bundle of papers dates to c1829 - 1846 (ref: 87810).

North Hertfordshire Museum Hitchin Library

22/08/2026

We are at Herts Pride today at Cassiobury park. Come and say hello and add to our Mapping Q***r Hertfordshire project with University of Hertfordshire

21/08/2026

With the new Premier League season kicking off today, we're looking back at the beautiful game as it was played in Hertfordshire more than a century ago!

These fascinating photographs from our collections capture local football teams in the early 1900s, when heavy leather balls, simple kits and muddy pitches were all part of the matchday experience.

The first image shows the boys from the sawmill department at John Dickinson & Co, Apsley Mills, in 1902, while the second captures a match between the Oddfellows and Foresters at Markyate in March 1911. Long before floodlights, televised fixtures and multi-million-pound transfers, football was already bringing Hertfordshire communities together.

Do you recognise any of these faces? Perhaps you have your own photographs or stories of local football clubs to share?

As supporters look forward to another season of Premier League action, these images offer a reminder of the rich history of football at a local level and the generations of players who helped make the sport what it is today.

⚽🏆📷

19/08/2026

This tranquil monochrome wash drawing by Buckler [c1832] is of Woodhall Park in Watton (Ref DZ/119/7/474C). The mansion house can be seen in the distance set in the parkland. In the 1930s it became Heath Mount School.

16/08/2026

On this day in 1956, Mrs Mary Budd celebrated her 101st birthday party at the Ritz Cinema with a tea party hosted by Red Cross nurses. Mrs Budd was a much loved resident of what used to be Howgate Old People’s Home in Potters Bar. Special invited guests to the occasion included the Chairman of the Urban District Council and many neighbours and friends.

The Ritz Cinema was erected in 1934 at the end of Darkes Lane in Potters Bar. After many years of creating fond memories for locals, the cinema sadly closed down in 1967, and today the site is occupied by Dreams bed and mattress retailer. Here is an image of the Ritz Cinema after its closure (Ref: LRR/POT/064).

To see footage of Mary Budd's 101st birthday party see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1nUlVPZ1oY

Potters Bar Residents Page

14/08/2026

Ever wondered what happens behind the scenes at Hertfordshire Archives & Local Studies?

As part of Heritage Open Days 2026, we're opening our archive stores for a series of free guided tours on Thursday 17th September.

Join us for a rare chance to descend into the archives and discover how we preserve Hertfordshire's fascinating history, from historic documents to unique local records.

🕑 Tour times:

• 2.00pm - 2.45pm (SOLD OUT)
• 3.00pm - 3.45pm (SOLD OUT)
• 4.00pm - 4.45pm

📍 Hertfordshire Archives & Local Studies, County Hall, Hertford

🎟️ Booking is essential and places are limited: www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/hals

Free admission. Donations welcome.

Address

Opening Hours

Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+443001234049

Website

https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/libraries-and-archives/hertfordshire-archives-and-local-studies/hertfordshire-

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