Kings Langley
Encyclopedia
Kings Langley is a historic English
village
and civil parish 21 miles (33.8 km) northwest of central London
on the southern edge of the Chiltern Hills
and now part of the London commuter belt
. The major western portion lies in the borough of Dacorum
and the east is in the Three Rivers
district, both in the county of Hertfordshire
, England
. It was once the location of Kings Langley Palace
, a royal palace of the Plantagenet kings of England. The 12th century parish church
of All Saints' houses the tomb of the first Duke of York
.
It is 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Hemel Hempstead
and 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Watford
.
has been excavated just south of the village.
The village was probably part of the lands of the Abbey of St Albans
, although actual records have been lost. At the Norman conquest the manor was given to William's half brother Robert, Count of Mortain who let it to one Ralf. It is around the manor that the present village developed as a linear village
lying on the old road from London to Berkhamsted and the Midlands of England.
Around 1276 the manor was purchased by Queen Eleanor
and a palace was built on the hill above the village to its west with a deer park extending to its south. This gave the village its link to Royalty, first being renamed Langley Regina after its sponsoring queen , and then later changed to Langley Regis or later still by the added epithet
"Kings". The village remained the location of Kings Langley Palace
, a royal palace of the Plantagenet kings of England: a priory
was founded next to the palace and remains of this can still be seen. The palace and the grand church that accompanied the priory fell into disrepair at the Dissolution of the Monasteries
and little remains above ground level.
The church of All Saints' was built during the 14th century on the site of an earlier church. The body of King Richard II
was buried here for a time after his probable murder at Pontefract Castle
in 1400. It was later removed to Westminster Abbey
. The body of Edmund of Langley, died 1402, the fifth son of Edward III
and the first Duke of York, still rests in the memorial chapel.
The 18th century Sparrows Herne
turnpike road
(later the A41 trunk road
) traversed the Chilterns via the valley of the River Gade
and ran down the village high street. The 16th century Saracen's Head public house
is a coaching inn
which flourished in this period.
The Grand Union Canal
dating from 1797 and the 1838 London and Birmingham Railway
which later became the West Coast Main Line
, (the main railway line from London
to the north west) pass just east of the village at Kings Langley railway station
. There are many businesses located near the station in Home Park Industrial Estate which is also home to the Construction and Engineering Centre of West Herts College.
20th century housing developments have led to the village spreading out on either side of the main road. The A41 has now been diverted west of the village leaving the high street to local traffic for the first time in centuries.
The London orbital motorway, the M25
, passes just south of the village (Junction 20) on an imposing viaduct across the River Gade valley.
Kings Langley was the home of the makers of Ovaltine
and the listed factory facade is now all that is left and still stands alongside the railway line among a new housing development. The Ovaltine factory itself has recently been converted into a series of flats and duplexes.
The former Ovaltine Egg Farm was converted into energy-efficient
offices which house Renewable Energy Systems
. The complex incorporates a highly visible 225 kW Vestas
V29 wind turbine
alongside the M25.
Kings Langley is home to a Waldorf School, the Rudolf Steiner School Kings Langley
. This is built on the grounds of the old palace, of which only a small basement part of a pillar remains to be seen. There is also a small display cabinet of finds from the palace period in the school entrance foyer.
Kings Langley School
is the local comprehensive school
, situated on Love Lane in the south west of the village.
The village is to be twinned with Achiet-le-Grand
in France
in November 2009, in honour of Christopher Cox
from the village who won a Victoria Cross
in fighting near Achiet-le-Grand in World War I
.
currently play in Division One of the Spartan South Midlands League.
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...
village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and civil parish 21 miles (33.8 km) northwest of central London
Central London
Central London is the innermost part of London, England. There is no official or commonly accepted definition of its area, but its characteristics are understood to include a high density built environment, high land values, an elevated daytime population and a concentration of regionally,...
on the southern edge of the Chiltern Hills
Chiltern Hills
The Chiltern Hills form a chalk escarpment in South East England. They are known locally as "the Chilterns". A large portion of the hills was designated officially as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1965.-Location:...
and now part of the London commuter belt
London commuter belt
The London commuter belt is the metropolitan area surrounding London, England from which it is practical to commute to work in the capital. It is alternatively known as the Greater South East, the London metropolitan area or the Southeast metropolitan area...
. The major western portion lies in the borough of Dacorum
Dacorum
The Borough of Dacorum is a local government district in Hertfordshire, England that includes the towns of Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Tring and Kings Langley. The district, which was formed in 1974, had a population of 137,799 in 2001...
and the east is in the Three Rivers
Three Rivers (district)
Three Rivers is a local government district in Hertfordshire in the East of England. Its council is based in Rickmansworth.It was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of Rickmansworth Urban District and Chorleywood Urban District with part of Watford Rural District...
district, both in the county 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...
. It was once the location of Kings Langley Palace
Kings Langley Palace
Kings Langley Palace was a 13th century Royal Palace located at Kings Langley in Hertfordshire.-History:In 1299 King Edward I summoned the Bishop of Norwich to Kings Langley Palace so providing the first evidence of its existence. Edward of Carnarvon, later Edward II, when Prince of Wales, spent...
, a royal palace of the Plantagenet kings of England. The 12th century parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
of All Saints' houses the tomb of the first Duke of York
Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York
Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, 1st Earl of Cambridge, KG was a younger son of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault, the fourth of the five sons who lived to adulthood, of this Royal couple. Like so many medieval princes, Edmund gained his identifying nickname from his...
.
It is 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead is a town in Hertfordshire in the East of England, to the north west of London and part of the Greater London Urban Area. The population at the 2001 Census was 81,143 ....
and 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Watford
Watford
Watford is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, situated northwest of central London and within the bounds of the M25 motorway. The borough is separated from Greater London to the south by the urbanised parish of Watford Rural in the Three Rivers District.Watford was created as an urban...
.
History
A Roman villaRoman villa
A Roman villa is a villa that was built or lived in during the Roman republic and the Roman Empire. A villa was originally a Roman country house built for the upper class...
has been excavated just south of the village.
The village was probably part of the lands of the Abbey of St Albans
St Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
, although actual records have been lost. At the Norman conquest the manor was given to William's half brother Robert, Count of Mortain who let it to one Ralf. It is around the manor that the present village developed as a linear village
Linear village
In geography, a linear village, or linear settlement, is a small to medium-sized settlement that is formed around a transport route, such as a road, river, or canal. Wraysbury, a village in Berkshire, is one of the longest villages in England....
lying on the old road from London to Berkhamsted and the Midlands of England.
Around 1276 the manor was purchased by Queen Eleanor
Eleanor of Castile
Eleanor of Castile was the first queen consort of Edward I of England. She was also Countess of Ponthieu in her own right from 1279 until her death in 1290, succeeding her mother and ruling together with her husband.-Birth:...
and a palace was built on the hill above the village to its west with a deer park extending to its south. This gave the village its link to Royalty, first being renamed Langley Regina after its sponsoring queen , and then later changed to Langley Regis or later still by the added epithet
Epithet
An epithet or byname is a descriptive term accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, divinities, objects, and binomial nomenclature. It is also a descriptive title...
"Kings". The village remained the location of Kings Langley Palace
Kings Langley Palace
Kings Langley Palace was a 13th century Royal Palace located at Kings Langley in Hertfordshire.-History:In 1299 King Edward I summoned the Bishop of Norwich to Kings Langley Palace so providing the first evidence of its existence. Edward of Carnarvon, later Edward II, when Prince of Wales, spent...
, a royal palace of the Plantagenet kings of England: a priory
King's Langley Priory
King's Langley Priory was a Dominican priory in Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, England.-History:Langley was founded in 1308 by Edward II in fulfilment of a vow made when in peril...
was founded next to the palace and remains of this can still be seen. The palace and the grand church that accompanied the priory fell into disrepair at the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
and little remains above ground level.
The church of All Saints' was built during the 14th century on the site of an earlier church. The body of King Richard II
Richard II of England
Richard II was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince, and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III...
was buried here for a time after his probable murder at Pontefract Castle
Pontefract Castle
Pontefract Castle is a castle in the town of Pontefract, in the City of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. It was the site of the demise of Richard II of England, and later the place of a series of famous sieges during the English Civil War-History:...
in 1400. It was later removed to Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
. The body of Edmund of Langley, died 1402, the fifth son of Edward III
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
and the first Duke of York, still rests in the memorial chapel.
Sparrows Herne turnpike
The Sparrow's Herne Turnpike road was an 18th century English turnpike road from London to Aylesbury.Its route was approximately that of the later A41 trunk road, , and much of the original route is now numbered as the A4251...
turnpike road
Turnpike trust
Turnpike trusts in the United Kingdom were bodies set up by individual Acts of Parliament, with powers to collect road tolls for maintaining the principal highways in Britain from the 17th but especially during the 18th and 19th centuries...
(later the A41 trunk road
A41 road
The A41 is a formerly-major trunk road in England that links London and Birkenhead, although it has now largely been superseded by motorways. It passes through or near various towns and cities including Watford, Hemel Hempstead, Aylesbury, Solihull, Birmingham, West Bromwich, Wolverhampton,...
) traversed the Chilterns via the valley of the River Gade
River Gade
The River Gade is a river running almost entirely though Hertfordshire. It rises from a spring in the chalk of the Chiltern Hills at Dagnall, Buckinghamshire and flows through Hemel Hempstead, Kings Langley and Croxley Green to Rickmansworth where it joins the The River Colne...
and ran down the village high street. The 16th century Saracen's Head public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
is a coaching inn
Coaching inn
In Europe, from approximately the mid-17th century for a period of about 200 years, the coaching inn, sometimes called a coaching house or staging inn, was a vital part of the inland transport infrastructure, as an inn serving coach travelers...
which flourished in this period.
The Grand Union Canal
Grand Union Canal
The Grand Union Canal in England is part of the British canal system. Its main line connects London and Birmingham, stretching for 137 miles with 166 locks...
dating from 1797 and the 1838 London and Birmingham Railway
London and Birmingham Railway
The London and Birmingham Railway was an early railway company in the United Kingdom from 1833 to 1846, when it became part of the London and North Western Railway ....
which later became the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
, (the main railway line from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to the north west) pass just east of the village at Kings Langley railway station
Kings Langley railway station
Kings Langley railway station is just under the M25 motorway at Junction 20. It serves the village of Kings Langley, and the nearby villages of Abbots Langley and Hunton Bridge. The station is 34 km north west of London Euston on the West Coast Main Line...
. There are many businesses located near the station in Home Park Industrial Estate which is also home to the Construction and Engineering Centre of West Herts College.
20th century housing developments have led to the village spreading out on either side of the main road. The A41 has now been diverted west of the village leaving the high street to local traffic for the first time in centuries.
The London orbital motorway, the M25
M25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
, passes just south of the village (Junction 20) on an imposing viaduct across the River Gade valley.
Kings Langley was the home of the makers of Ovaltine
Ovaltine
Ovaltine is a brand of milk flavoring product made with malt extract , sugar , cocoa, and whey...
and the listed factory facade is now all that is left and still stands alongside the railway line among a new housing development. The Ovaltine factory itself has recently been converted into a series of flats and duplexes.
The former Ovaltine Egg Farm was converted into energy-efficient
Efficient energy use
Efficient energy use, sometimes simply called energy efficiency, is the goal of efforts to reduce the amount of energy required to provide products and services. For example, insulating a home allows a building to use less heating and cooling energy to achieve and maintain a comfortable temperature...
offices which house Renewable Energy Systems
Renewable Energy Systems
The RES Group is a UK-based renewable energy project developer. Its core business is to develop, construct and operate large-scale, grid-connected renewable energy projects worldwide. As part of the Sir Robert McAlpine group, RES is active in the wind, biomass and solar energy sectors...
. The complex incorporates a highly visible 225 kW Vestas
Vestas
Vestas Wind Systems A/S is a Danish manufacturer, seller, installer, and servicer of wind turbines. It is the largest in the world, but due to very rapid growth of its competitors, its market share decreased from 28% in 2007 to 12.5% in 2009...
V29 wind turbine
Wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
alongside the M25.
Kings Langley is home to a Waldorf School, the Rudolf Steiner School Kings Langley
Rudolf Steiner School Kings Langley
Rudolf Steiner School Kings Langley is a Steiner School located in Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, England, formed in 1949.The school caters for pupils aged 3 to 19 years old, and has a capacity of 440 pupils....
. This is built on the grounds of the old palace, of which only a small basement part of a pillar remains to be seen. There is also a small display cabinet of finds from the palace period in the school entrance foyer.
Kings Langley School
Kings Langley School
Kings Langley School is a comprehensive secondary school in the village of Kings Langley in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom.The school caters for pupils aged 11 to 18...
is the local comprehensive school
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
, situated on Love Lane in the south west of the village.
The village is to be twinned with Achiet-le-Grand
Achiet-le-Grand
Achiet-le-Grand is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Geography:A farming village located 12 miles south of Arras, at the D7 and D9 road junction...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in November 2009, in honour of Christopher Cox
Christopher Augustus Cox
Christopher Augustus Cox VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross.-Early army career:Cox was married with one son when war was declared but still volunteered in September 1914. He was a private in the 7th Battalion, The Bedfordshire Regiment, British Army...
from the village who won a Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
in fighting near Achiet-le-Grand in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Mentions in literature
- William ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's Richard IIRichard II (play)King Richard the Second is a history play by William Shakespeare believed to be written in approximately 1595. It is based on the life of King Richard II of England and is the first part of a tetralogy, referred to by some scholars as the Henriad, followed by three plays concerning Richard's...
, Act IV, Scene I (1595 ) is set in the garden of the palace at Langley. - Emily Sarah HoltEmily Sarah HoltEmily Sarah Holt was an English novelist.She wrote about fifty books, mainly for children. Most of her work can be classified as historical novels...
's novel The White Rose of Langley (1875) has many scenes in the palace. (Download available at Project GutenbergProject GutenbergProject Gutenberg is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks". Founded in 1971 by Michael S. Hart, it is the oldest digital library. Most of the items in its collection are the full texts of public domain books...
) - In the 2010 book Beautiful Darkness the character Olivia Durand is from Kings Langley.
Football
Kings Langley F.C.Kings Langley F.C.
Kings Langley F.C. are a football club based in Kings Langley, near Hemel Hempstead, England.After spending the majority of their history in the Herts County League, they joined the Spartan South Midlands League in 2001, and are currently members of Division One.They have competed in the FA Cup...
currently play in Division One of the Spartan South Midlands League.
Cricket
Kings Langley C.C. currently play in Divisions Three, Eight, Ten and 14 of the Saracens Hertfordshire Cricket League.Notable people
- U.S. President Jimmy CarterJimmy CarterJames Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
, ancestors with Carter surname lived in village 1361-1588. - Captain Alan Rice-OxleyAlan Rice-OxleyLieutenant Alan Rice-Oxley was a British pilot during World War I. He became a flying ace in 1918, credited with six aerial victories.-Early life:Alan Rice-Oxley was born in Kings Langley, Hertfordshire in 1898...
DFC (1898-1961), RAF officer, World War I fighter ace - Benny Green (1927–1998), saxophonist and radio personality.
- Graham TaylorGraham TaylorGraham Taylor may refer to:* Graham Taylor , footballer and manager* Graham Taylor , British novelist and part-time priest* Graham Taylor , Major League Baseball player...
, former England Football Team Manager and current chairman of Watford F.C.Watford F.C.Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
has a house in Kings Langley - Luke DonaldLuke DonaldLuke Campbell Donald is an English professional golfer who is the current World Number One. He plays mainly on the U.S. based PGA Tour but is also a member of the European Tour. In 2006 he reached the top ten in the Official World Golf Rankings for the first time in his career. In January 2007, he...
, professional golfer and current world no.1 lived in Kings Langley