Watton-at-Stone

Watton-at-Stone

infobox UK place
static_

static_image_caption=Village cast iron water pump, dating from the early 19th century
country = England
official_name= Watton-at-Stone
population= 2,272 (2001)
shire_district= East Hertfordshire
shire_county = Hertfordshire
region= East of England

constituency_westminster= North East Hertfordshire
post_town= HERTFORD
postcode_district = SG14
postcode_area= SG
dial_code= 01920
os_grid_reference= TL299194
longitude= -0.1130

latitude= 51.8580

Watton-at-Stone is a village in the English county of Hertfordshire, situated midway between the towns of Stevenage and Hertford in the valley of the River Beane. The 2001 census showed a population of 2,272, living in 921 households. [citation
last=2001 Census
title=Key Statistics: Parish Headcounts
url=http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=795296&c=Watton-at-Stone&d=16&e=15&g=454489&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1205671918406&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779
]

Village life

There is little employment directly within the village and it largely serves as a dormitory for commuters to London or to the nearby towns.

The village has a primary school and nursery school. The co-educational Heath Mount independent school is located on the outskirts in the private estate of the Grade II* listed Woodhall Park.

The A602 formerly ran through the centre of the village between Stevenage and Hertford before a bypass was built in the 1980s through farmland to the north-east. The section of the road to Hertford was renamed the A119, and the A602 then ran out of Watton-at-Stone to Ware. Watton-at-Stone is served by a railway station on the Hertford Loop Line. The station opened for passengers on 2nd June 1924, was closed on 11th September 1939 (though the line continued to run through the village), and reopened on 17th May 1982, paid for partly by public subscription.

A war memorial lies in a field adjoining the church.

History

The name Watton first appeared in writing in an 11th-century publication of 10th-century Anglo-Saxon wills as "Wattun". It was later recorded in the Domesday Book as both "Wodtune" and "Watone".citation
first=William|last=Page
title=A History of the County of Hertford: volume 3
date=1912
url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=43596
accessdate=2008-03-16
] The origin of the word is uncertain, and is variously ascribed to Old English "wád", or woad, and "ton" meaning small farming settlement; or "waden" meaning ford; or from "waétan" meaning watery. The suffix -at-Stone dates from the early 13th century and is derived from the presence of two large examples of Hertfordshire puddingstone, now situated at the Waggon and Horses public house.citation
last = East Herts District Council
title = Watton-at-Stone
url = http://www.eastherts.gov.uk/index.jsp?articleid=2089&detailid=2037
accessdate = 2008-02-04
]

A Roman Road ran from Verulamium (modern St Albans), fording the River Beane at Watton-at-Stone.citation
title=Hertfordshire Landscape Survey: Woodhall Park and Watton-at-Stone slopes
last=Hertfordshire County Council Environment
date=October 2001
url=http://enquire.hertscc.gov.uk/landscsh/Areas/area70.htm
accessdate=2008-03-16
] A battle between the Danes and Saxons took place nearby in 1016. In later years, the natural springs in the area once made the village a popular spa town.

The village has a number of dwellings dating from early Tudor, such as "Watton House", through to late Georgian constructions. Its flintstone rubble Anglican church dedicated to Saint Mary and Saint Andrew dates from the 15th century, and is built in the Perpendicular style. [citation
first = Herbert H. | last = Tompkins
title = Hertfordshire, Second Edition
url = http://www.gutenberg.org/files/18252/18252-8.txt
year = 1922
]

Archaeological finds

The Iron Age "Aston Mirror" was found nearby, closer to Watton-at-Stone than to the village of Aston, but technically in Aston parish due to the convoluted border. It is now kept at the British Museum. A collection of Belgic armour and weaponry was discovered in the mid-19th century by workers digging a drain at the north end of the village.

Famous residents

Watton-at-Stone is home to the boxing promoter Frank Warren. It was the birthplace and childhood home of the actor Rupert Grint, well-known from his role of Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter film series. [citation
last = filmreference.com
title = Rupert Grint Biography
url = http://www.filmreference.com/film/26/Rupert-Grint.html
accessdate = 2008-02-04
] The famous locomotive engineer Sir Nigel Gresley lived in Watton House until his death in 1941. [citation
first = Oswald S. | last = Nock
title = The Locomotives of Sir Nigel Gresley
publisher = Longmans, Green and Co
year = 2007
page = 173
]

Alternative names

The name is also spelled unhyphenated as Watton at Stone and appears in this form on Ordnance Survey maps. The County Council favours the hyphenated version. Both spellings are equally valid.

Locally, the '-at-Stone' suffix is frequently dropped.

References

External links

* [http://wattonatstone.org.uk/ Village homepage]
* [http://watton-pc.org.uk Parish council website]
* [http://www.wattonatstone.herts.sch.uk/ Village primary school website]
* [http://www.heathmount.org Heath Mount school website]
* [http://www.unc.edu/celtic/design/aston/aston.html The Aston mirror]
* [http://www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk First Capital Connect]
* [http://www.thelocalchannel.co.uk/wattonatstone Parish Council Website]
* [http://www.wattonatstone.info/watton_web/wattonStart.html Image gallery]


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  • Watton-at-stone — [] est un village anglais situé dans le comté de Hertfordshire, situé entre les villes de Stevenage et de Hertford, dans la vallée de la Beane. Il compte 2 272 habitants (recensement de 2001). Personnalités liées à la commune Rupert Grint, l… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Watton-at-Stone — ist eine Ortschaft in der englischen Grafschaft Hertfordshire und liegt zwischen den Städten Stevenage und Hertford im Tal des Flusses Beane. Im Jahr 2001 betrug die Einwohnerzahl 2.272. Berühmte Persönlichkeiten Watton at Stone ist der… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Watton-at-Stone — 51° 51′ 29″ N 0° 06′ 47″ W / 51.858, 0.113 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Watton at Stone — Original name in latin Watton at Stone Name in other language Watton, Watton at Stone State code GB Continent/City Europe/London longitude 51.85842 latitude 0.11381 altitude 62 Population 2323 Date 2010 08 03 …   Cities with a population over 1000 database

  • Watton-at-Stone railway station — Infobox UK station name = Watton at Stone code = WAS manager = First Capital Connect locale = Watton at Stone borough = East Hertfordshire usage0405 = 0.102 lowusage0506 = 93,188 usage0607 = 0.108 platforms = 2 start = June 1924 Closed September… …   Wikipedia

  • Watton — could be*Watton, Devon *Watton, East Riding of Yorkshire *Watton, Norfolk *Watton at Stone, Hertfordshire See also *Whatton *Laura Watton …   Wikipedia

  • A602 road — UK road routebox road= A602 length mi= length km= direction= Northwest Southeast start= Ware destinations= Stevenage end= Hitchin construction date= completion date= junctions= ukmotorwayAsmall|1 ukroadsmall|10 ukroadsmall|119 ukroadsmall|1072… …   Wikipedia

  • Sir Nigel Gresley — Die nach Sir Nigel Gresley benannte A4 Nr. 4498 Sir Herbert Nigel Gresley (* 19. Juni 1876 in Edinburgh, Schottland; † 5. April 1941 in Watton at Stone, Hertfordshire) war einer der führenden britischen D …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Rupert Grint — Infobox actor imagesize = caption = Grint at the premiere of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in Toronto, Canada, 2007 birthdate = birth date and age|1988|08|24 birthplace = Watton at Stone, Hertfordshire, England deathdate = birthname …   Wikipedia

  • Rupert Grint — à la première d Harry Potter et les Reliques de la Mort à New York en novembre 2010. Données clés …   Wikipédia en Français

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