Watton-at-Stone
Encyclopedia
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. Watton-at-Stone is also a civil parish
in East Hertfordshire
District Council.
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 2 June 1924, was closed on 11 September 1939 (though the line continued to run through the village), and reopened on 17 May 1982, paid for partly by public subscription.
A war memorial
lies in a field adjoining the church.
as both Wodtune and Watone. 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 thirteenth century and is derived from the presence of two large examples of Hertfordshire puddingstone
, now situated at the Waggon and Horses public house
.
A Roman Road
ran from Verulamium
(modern St Albans
), fording the River Beane
at Watton-at-Stone. 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 flint
stone rubble Anglican church dedicated to Saint Mary and Saint Andrew
dates from the fifteenth century, and is built in the Perpendicular style.
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.
. The Sun
's racing tipster 'Templegate' was also a previous resident of the village. 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. The famous locomotive engineer Sir Nigel Gresley lived in Watton House until his death in 1941. The evangelical author and social campaigner Edward Bickersteth was rector of the church for twenty years from 1830 until his death in 1850. His one-time curate
was the theological scholar Thomas Birks
.
maps. The County Council favours the hyphenated version. Both spellings are equally valid.
Locally, the '-at-Stone' suffix is frequently dropped.
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...
county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
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...
, situated midway between the towns of Stevenage
Stevenage
Stevenage is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England. It is situated to the east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1, and is between Letchworth Garden City to the north, and Welwyn Garden City to the south....
and 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...
in the valley of the River Beane
River Beane
The River Beane is a tributary of the River Lea. It rises to the south-west of Sandon, Hertfordshire in the hills northeast of Stevenage in Hertfordshire....
. The 2001 census showed a population of 2,272, living in 921 households. Watton-at-Stone is also a civil parish
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 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 Council.
Village life
There is little employment directly within the village and it largely serves as a dormitory for commuters to LondonLondon
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...
or to the nearby towns.
The village has a primary school and nursery school
Nursery school
A nursery school is a school for children between the ages of one and five years, staffed by suitably qualified and other professionals who encourage and supervise educational play rather than simply providing childcare...
. The co-educational Heath Mount
Heath Mount School
Heath Mount School is a co-educational prep school near Watton-at-Stone, Hertfordshire. It was originally based in Hampstead, until the 1930s when it moved to rural Hertfordshire.-Notable former pupils:...
independent school
Independent school (UK)
An independent school is a school that is not financed through the taxation system by local or national government and is instead funded by private sources, predominantly in the form of tuition charges, gifts and long-term charitable endowments, and so is not subject to the conditions imposed by...
is located on the outskirts in the private estate of the Grade II* listed Woodhall Park.
The A602
A602 road
The A602 is a road linking Hitchin in Hertfordshire, England, with A10 at Ware in Hertfordshire, via Stevenage.The course of the road has changed significantly since the 1960s with the construction of several bypasses and relief roads....
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
A119 road (England)
The A119 road is a road connecting Ware and Watton-at-Stone....
, and the A602 then ran out of Watton-at-Stone to Ware. Watton-at-Stone is served by a railway station
Watton-at-Stone railway station
Watton-at-Stone railway station serves the village of Watton-at-Stone in Hertfordshire, England. It is on the Hertford Loop branch line between Hertford North and Stevenage and is served by trains operated by First Capital Connect.- History :...
on the Hertford Loop Line
Hertford Loop Line
The Hertford Loop Line is a branch of the East Coast Main Line, providing a commuter route to London for Hertford and other Hertfordshire towns...
. The station opened for passengers on 2 June 1924, was closed on 11 September 1939 (though the line continued to run through the village), and reopened on 17 May 1982, paid for partly by public subscription.
A war memorial
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
lies in a field adjoining the church.
History
The name Watton first appeared in writing in an eleventh century publication of tenth century Anglo-Saxon wills as Wattun. It was later recorded in the Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
as both Wodtune and Watone. The origin of the word is uncertain, and is variously ascribed to Old English
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
wád, or woad
Woad
Isatis tinctoria, with Woad as the common name, is a flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae. It is commonly called dyer's woad, and sometimes incorrectly listed as Isatis indigotica . It is occasionally known as Asp of Jerusalem...
, and ton meaning small farming settlement; or waden meaning ford; or from waétan meaning watery. The suffix -at-Stone dates from the early thirteenth century and is derived from the presence of two large examples of Hertfordshire puddingstone
Hertfordshire puddingstone
Hertfordshire puddingstone is a conglomerate sedimentary rock composed of rounded flint pebbles cemented together by a younger matrix of silica quartz. The distinctive rock is largely confined to the English county of Hertfordshire but small amounts occur throughout the London Basin. Despite a...
, now situated at the Waggon and Horses 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...
.
A Roman Road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
ran from Verulamium
Verulamium
Verulamium was an ancient town in Roman Britain. It was sited in the southwest of the modern city of St Albans in Hertfordshire, Great Britain. A large portion of the Roman city remains unexcavated, being now park and agricultural land, though much has been built upon...
(modern 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...
), fording the River Beane
River Beane
The River Beane is a tributary of the River Lea. It rises to the south-west of Sandon, Hertfordshire in the hills northeast of Stevenage in Hertfordshire....
at Watton-at-Stone. A battle between the Danes and Saxons
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
took place nearby in 1016. In later years, the natural springs in the area once made the village a popular spa town
Spa town
A spa town is a town situated around a mineral spa . Patrons resorted to spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. The word comes from the Belgian town Spa. In continental Europe a spa was known as a ville d'eau...
.
The village has a number of dwellings dating from early Tudor
Tudor architecture
The Tudor architectural style is the final development of medieval architecture during the Tudor period and even beyond, for conservative college patrons...
, such as Watton House, through to late Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
constructions. Its flint
Flint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
stone rubble Anglican church dedicated to Saint Mary and Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew , called in the Orthodox tradition Prōtoklētos, or the First-called, is a Christian Apostle and the brother of Saint Peter. The name "Andrew" , like other Greek names, appears to have been common among the Jews from the 3rd or 2nd century BC. No Hebrew or Aramaic name is recorded for him...
dates from the fifteenth century, and is built in the Perpendicular style.
Archaeological finds
The Iron AgeIron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
Aston Mirror was found nearby, closer to Watton-at-Stone than to the village of Aston
Aston, Hertfordshire
Aston is a village and civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district of Hertfordshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 844....
, but technically in Aston parish due to the convoluted border. It is now kept at the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
. 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 WarrenFrank Warren (promoter)
Frank Darren Warren is an English boxing manager and promoter.-Early life and early career:The son of a bookmaker, Warren trained as a solicitor's clerk with J Tickle & Co on Southampton Row in London....
. The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
's racing tipster 'Templegate' was also a previous resident of the village. It was the birthplace and childhood home of the actor Rupert Grint
Rupert Grint
Rupert Alexander Lloyd Grint is an English actor, who rose to prominence playing Ron Weasley, one of the three main characters in the Harry Potter film series. Grint was cast as Ron at the age of 11, having previously acted only in school plays and at his local theatre group...
, well-known from his role of Ron Weasley
Ron Weasley
Ronald Bilius "Ron" Weasley is a fictional character and one of the three protagonists in the Harry Potter book series written by J. K. Rowling. His first appearance was in the first book of the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as the best friend of Harry Potter and Hermione Granger...
in the Harry Potter
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
film series. The famous locomotive engineer Sir Nigel Gresley lived in Watton House until his death in 1941. The evangelical author and social campaigner Edward Bickersteth was rector of the church for twenty years from 1830 until his death in 1850. His one-time curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
was the theological scholar Thomas Birks
Thomas Rawson Birks
Thomas Rawson Birks , theologian and controversialist, was born on 28 September 1810 at Staveley in Derbyshire, England. He figured in the debate to try to resolve theology and science. He rose to be a Knightbridge Professor of Moral Philosophy...
.
Alternative names
The name is also spelled unhyphenated as Watton at Stone and appears in this form on Ordnance SurveyOrdnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
maps. The County Council favours the hyphenated version. Both spellings are equally valid.
Locally, the '-at-Stone' suffix is frequently dropped.