Hunsdon

Hunsdon
Village sign with De Havilland Mosquito representing Hunsdon Airfield
Hunsdon
Location within Hertfordshire
Population1,194 (Parish, 2021)[1]
Civil parish
  • Hunsdon
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townWARE
Postcode districtSG12
UK Parliament

Hunsdon is a village and civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district of Hertfordshire, England. It lies 3.5 miles (5.6 km) east of the centre of Ware, its post town, and 3 miles (5 km) north-west of the centre of Harlow. At the 2021 census the parish had a population of 1,194.

History

The Domesday Book of 1086 records Hodesdone as a manor in the Braughing Hundred of Hertfordshire. At that time it was owned by a woman whose name was not recorded; she was instead identified as "Ralph Tallboys' daughter".[2]

A priest is mentioned at Hunsdon in the Domesday Book, suggesting it was by then a parish. Hunsdon certainly had a church by 1291.[3] The current parish church, dedicated to St Dunstan, dates from the early 14th century. It stands 0.75 miles (1.2 km) south of the main part of the village.[4]

The church adjoins Hunsdon House, which appears to have been built in the late 1440s as a moated tower house, possibly on the site of an earlier manor house. The house has been extensively remodelled several times over its history. By 1527 the house had come to be owned by Henry VIII, who used the extensive parkland belonging to the house for hunting.[3][5]

Another large country house in the parish is Briggens House, set in parkland at the southern end of the parish near the River Stort. The river forms the southern boundary of the parish and is also the county boundary with Essex. Briggens House was built around 1719 and the formal parkland around it was laid out shortly afterwards.[6][7]

The main part of the village lies along the B180 road. The historic core of the village includes numerous listed buildings, and was designated a conservation area in 1968.[8]

Hunsdon Airfield to the east of the village was built in 1941, during the Second World War, as RAF Hunsdon. After the war, military use of the airfield ceased.[9] The airfield is now used by a local microlight club.[10]

Governance

There are three tiers of local government covering Hunsdon, at parish, district and county level: Hunsdon Parish Council, East Hertfordshire District Council, and Hertfordshire County Council. The parish council meets at the Village Hall on High Street.[11]

For national elections, the parish forms part of the Hertford and Stortford constituency.[12]

See also

References

  1. ^ "2021 Census Parish Profiles". NOMIS. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 31 January 2026. (To get individual parish data, use the query function on table PP002.)
  2. ^ Powell-Smith, Anna. "Hunsdon". Open Domesday. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  3. ^ a b Page, William, ed. (1912). "Parishes: Hunsdon". A History of the County of Hertford: Volume 3. London: Victoria County History. pp. 323–332. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  4. ^ Historic England. "Parish Church of St Dunstan (Church of England) ¾ mile South of Village (Grade I) (1101973)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  5. ^ Historic England. "Hunsdon House to East of Parish Church (Grade I) (1347687)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  6. ^ Historic England. "Briggens House Hotel and attached Upper Terrace and tank at west, along a drive, 300 metres south of the Lodge (Grade II) (1307983)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  7. ^ Historic England. "Briggens (Grade II) (1001705)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  8. ^ Hunsdon Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan (PDF). Hertford: East Herts Council. 2013. p. 8. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  9. ^ "RAF Hunsdon Memorial Day, 22nd May 2005". RAF Hunsdon and RAF Sawbridgeworth. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  10. ^ "Hunsdon Microlight Club". Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  11. ^ "Parish Council Meetings, Agendas and Minutes". Hunsdon Village Web. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  12. ^ "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 15 February 2026.

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