"Hertford - Home county town" Hertford by Willettsworld

Hertford is the county town (capital) of Hertfordshire, the county immediately north of London, with the town being 19 miles (31km) away from the English capital. Hertford is a small to medium sized town of around 25,000 people and is one of the top 10 places to live in the UK. Its name is Anglo-Saxon in origin and means the ford frequented by harts - a medium sized male deer, for which the county is famous for and which features on the counties flag.

The town features several beautiful old town houses that date from the 17th to the 19th centuries along with St Nicholas Hall that features Tudor wooden beams and which dates to around 1450. The town, however, is better known for its Norman 11th century castle of which only the motte (a raised grass mound) remains. The original 12th century castle flint wall and gates remain but its 15th century gatehouse is now the major draw-card attraction. There are several churches in the town, All Saints' and St Andrew's, are late and mid 19th century respectively. In the northern suburb of Bengeo lies St Leonard's, a two-celled 12th century Norman church of considerable architectural interest. The Parliament of England temporarily moved to Hertford during the Great Plague of London. This is why the main square in the town, Parliament Square, is so named, although it is a 20th century creation. The town is well served by transportation links with two rail stations to London Moorgate and London Liverpool Street, and the A414, M11 and A10 roads which mean that the town can easily be visited as a day trip from London.