Preston, Hertfordshire
Encyclopedia
Preston is a village
and civil parish about 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Hitchin
in Hertfordshire
, England
.
The village grew up around the Templar
holdings at Temple Dinsley, and Princess Helena College
is now on the site. The first church was mentioned in 1252, when six acres (24,000 m²) of land was given to nuns from Elstow
, Bedfordshire
.
Temple Dinsley passed on to the Knights Hospitaller
after the dissolution of the Templars. When the Hospitallers were in turn dissolved in 1542, the manor went to Sir Ralph Sadleir.
In the 17th century the village became linked with John Bunyan
, who used to hold services in a natural amphitheatre
now called Bunyan's Dell.
St Martin's, the local Anglican church, opened in 1900.
The ruined Minsden Chapel
, reputed to be haunted, is located near the village, though is actually in Langley
civil parish.
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 about 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Hitchin
Hitchin
Hitchin is a town in Hertfordshire, England, with an estimated population of 30,360.-History:Hitchin is first noted as the central place of the Hicce people mentioned in a 7th century document, the Tribal Hidage. The tribal name is Brittonic rather than Old English and derives from *siccā, meaning...
in 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...
.
The village grew up around the Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
holdings at Temple Dinsley, and Princess Helena College
Princess Helena College
Princess Helena College is an independent school for girls located in the small village of Preston near Hitchin in Hertfordshire. It is housed in a Grade II* listed Queen Anne country house, which was redesigned by Edwin Lutyens, at the same time as the gardens were designed by his great friend,...
is now on the site. The first church was mentioned in 1252, when six acres (24,000 m²) of land was given to nuns from Elstow
Elstow
Elstow is a village and civil parish in the English county of Bedfordshire. John Bunyan, was born here - at Bunyan's End, which lay approximately halfway between the hamlet of Harrowden and Elstow's High Street.-History:...
, Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
.
Temple Dinsley passed on to the Knights Hospitaller
Knights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
after the dissolution of the Templars. When the Hospitallers were in turn dissolved in 1542, the manor went to Sir Ralph Sadleir.
In the 17th century the village became linked with John Bunyan
John Bunyan
John Bunyan was an English Christian writer and preacher, famous for writing The Pilgrim's Progress. Though he was a Reformed Baptist, in the Church of England he is remembered with a Lesser Festival on 30 August, and on the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church on 29 August.-Life:In 1628,...
, who used to hold services in a natural amphitheatre
Amphitheatre
An amphitheatre is an open-air venue used for entertainment and performances.There are two similar, but distinct, types of structure for which the word "amphitheatre" is used: Ancient Roman amphitheatres were large central performance spaces surrounded by ascending seating, and were commonly used...
now called Bunyan's Dell.
St Martin's, the local Anglican church, opened in 1900.
The ruined Minsden Chapel
Minsden Chapel
Minsden Chapel is an isolated ruined chapel in the fields above the hamlet of Chapelfoot, near Preston, Hertfordshire. Today it is a roofless shell, partly surrounded by a small wood, and accessible only by footpath....
, reputed to be haunted, is located near the village, though is actually in Langley
Langley, Hertfordshire
Langley is a hamlet and civil parish in the North Hertfordshire District, in the county of Hertfordshire. It is located four miles south of Hitchin, on the B656 road near the large town of Stevenage....
civil parish.