Bayford, Hertfordshire
Encyclopedia
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Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the East Hertfordshire
East Hertfordshire
East Hertfordshire is a local government district in Hertfordshire, England. Its council has offices in Bishop's Stortford and Hertford ....
district of Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. According to the 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
it had a population of 435. The village is about three miles south of Hertford
Hertford
Hertford is the county town of Hertfordshire, England, and is also a civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district of the county. Forming a civil parish, the 2001 census put the population of Hertford at about 24,180. Recent estimates are that it is now around 28,000...
, and is served by Bayford railway station
Bayford railway station
Bayford railway station serves the villages of Bayford and Brickendon in Hertfordshire, England. The station is on the Hertford Loop Line 30 km north of London Kings Cross.-Services:...
.
Bayford has won 'best kept village' awards in previous years and is renowned for being a place of beauty.
Bayford contains a local primary school
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
: Bayford (C of E) VC Primary School.
The Parish Church of St Mary
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
stands about a quarter of a mile north of the village; the present building dates from 1870. It was rebuilt close to the site of the old church, which was first mentioned in 1222. A 15th century font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
and some 16th and 17th century monuments to the Knighton family have been preserved.
The local public house, The Baker Arms, is in the heart of the village with a thriving trade, serving home cooked foods and real ales. It comes highly recommended from many customers and welcomes all.
Every two years the village holds a Gardens Open Day in which many of the houses, both large and small, open up their gardens to the public.
The manor of Bayford was purchased in 1757 by Sir William Baker
Sir William Baker
Sir William Baker was an English businessman and politician.-References:*...
(1705–1770), who built the mansion of Bayfordbury
Bayfordbury
Bayfordbury, Hertfordshire is the location of the University of Hertfordshire's biology/geography field station and observatory. The site is also home to the Science Learning Centre for the East of England, which runs training courses for teachers and technicians in science learning for early...
in 1758. He died at Bath, whilst taking the cure, and is commemorated in the Abbey. The mansion was extended by infilling between the service blocks, to house the Kit-Cat Club
Kit-Cat Club
The Kit-Cat Club was an early 18th century English club in London with strong political and literary associations, committed to the furtherance of Whig objectives, meeting at the Trumpet tavern in London, and at Water Oakley in the Berkshire countryside.The first meetings were held at a tavern in...
portraits, which Baker inherited from Jacob Tonson
Tonson
Tonson was the name of a family of London booksellers and publishers in the 17th and 18th centuries.Richard and Jacob Tonson , sons of a London barber-surgeon, started in 1676 and 1677 independently as booksellers and publishers in London...
. In 1941 Bayfordbury was leased to Dr Barnardo's Homes for young boys aged 9 to 14 years of age. In 1945 the John Innes Institute moved to Bayfordbury and built glass houses, the research block and the houses at Broad Green Wood for their staff. The estate was later acquired by Herts County Council and occupied by Hatfield Polytechnic (later The University of Hertfordshire). They built an Observatory which is regarded as one of the finest teaching observatories in the country and used the research block for chemical and biological research. The mansion and stables have now been converted into residences. The research block is still used by the University and the grounds as a field study centre.