Buntingford

Coordinates: 51°56′40″N 0°00′58″W / 51.9445°N 0.0160°W / 51.9445; -0.0160

Buntingford
Buntingford
Buntingford  Buntingford shown within Hertfordshire
Population	4,820 (2001)
OS grid reference	TL363292
Parish	Buntingford
District	East Hertfordshire
Shire county	Hertfordshire
Region	East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BUNTINGFORD
Postcode district	SG9
Dialling code	01763
Police	Hertfordshire
Fire	Hertfordshire
Ambulance	East of England
EU Parliament	East of England
UK Parliament	North East Hertfordshire
List of places: UK • England • Hertfordshire

Buntingford is a small market town and civil parish in the district of East Hertfordshire and county of Hertfordshire in England. It lies on the River Rib and on the Roman road Ermine Street. As a result of its location, it grew mainly as a staging post with many coaching inns and has an 18th century one cell prison known as 'The Cage' by the ford at the end of Church Street. It has a population of 4,820.The town also has a annual firework display at The Bury, the Buntingford Cougars HQ and also a sainsburys depot.^[1]

The Prime Meridian passes to the east of Buntingford.

The Mayor of Buntingford is Stan Bull.

The town has a large number of Georgian and mediaeval buildings, such as Buntingford almshouses, Buntingford Manor House and the Red House. Buntingford was a stop-over on what was the main route between London and Cambridge, now the A10. Due to its desirability as a commuter town in recent years, the town has grown considerably in the past few decades, the most noticeable recent addition being the 'Bovis Estate' (circa 1990), informally named after the housing firm that constructed there; its main road is Luynes Rise, named due to the town's twinning with Luynes (near Tours) in France. Other housing estates are: Freman Drive, Vicarage Road, Snells Mead, Downhall Ley, Monks Walk, and Kingfisher Park, currently under construction (2010).

Buntingford was traditionally located within the parish of Layston - St Bartholemew's Church (Layston) is now derelict and lies about a half a mile to the north-east of the town. St Peter's Church, formerly a relief chapel, is the Anglican church in Buntingford and is an almost unique brick building from the age of the 17th-century Puritans. St Richard's serves the Roman Catholic community. There is also a United Reformed Church in Baldock Road.^{[citation needed]}

Market day is Monday, and early closing Wednesday. The Buntingford Carnival is held every other year. There is also a classic car event held in the town each year, usually in the early autumn

Buntingford railway station, opened in 1863, was closed in 1964^[2] under the Beeching cuts. This was located as the terminus for the Buntingford Branch Line. Recently it has been redeveloped into housing.

Apparently Queen Elizabeth I stayed at Buntingford in a building now called the Bell House Gallery, on a coach journey to Cambridge. Just up the High Street, The Angel Inn (Now a Dental surgery) was a staging post catering for coaches travelling from London to Cambridge.^{[citation needed]}

The town has a number of public houses ('pubs') - The Brambles (formerly The Chequers), The Fox and Duck, The Black Bull, The Crown, The Jolly Sailors and The Railway.^{[citation needed]}

Buntingford is home to the Sainsbury's Anglia Distribution Centre, however this is now vacant and awaiting lease. Before it was used by Sainsbury's it was used as a depot by the Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers (REME), a regiment of the British Army.^{[citation needed]}

Buntingford uses a three-tier school system. There are four schools in Buntingford:

• Freman College (an Upper School and Sixth Form), Bowling Green Lane, Buntingford, SG9 9BT. Formerly known as Ward Freman Upper School.
• Edwinstree C of E Middle School, has around 450 pupils, four year-groups and 16 classes, Norfolk Road, Buntingford, SG9 9AW.
• Layston First School, has around 150 pupils,five year-groups. Also has a small nursery.
• Milfield First School, has around 150 pupils,five year-groups. Also has a small nursery.

The name of the town is believed to originate from the Saxon chieftain or tribe Bunta; it does not refer to the bird Bunting, or the festive flag-like decorations.^{[citation needed]}

Twin towns

• Luynes^{[disambiguation needed ]}, France
• Ólvega, Spain

References

1. ^ Office for National Statistics : Census 2001 : Parish Headcounts : East Hertfordshire Retrieved 2 February 2010
2. ^ Disused Stations - Contains a list of closed railway stations in the UK

External links

• Buntingford Town Council
• Unofficial website
• Buntingford Civic Society
• Buntingford Dramatic Society
• Buntingford Cougars Youth Football Club
• Buntingford Chamber of Commerce