River Beane towards Molewood Taken from Beane Road
Bengeo is on a rise between the River Beane and River Rib overlooking Hartham Common. Its toponym is derived from an Old English name meaning spur or ridge over the River Beane.[6] The Domesday Book of 1086 records it as Belingehou.[7] It evolved through forms including Beneggho and Beningho in the 13th century, Bengeho in the 15th century and Benjow in the 16th century before reaching its current form.[2]
Geography and amenitiesedit
The Avenue
Other than the south-east corner which adjoins Hertford, Bengeo is mostly surrounded by countryside. Informally (the terms having no official status) Bengeo consists of Upper and Lower Bengeo; Upper Bengeo is the area at the top of Port Hill leading out of Hertford town centre, while Lower Bengeo is the area on the side of the hill and centred on Byde Street. On an approximate north–south trajectory Bengeo is bisected by the B158, known as Port Hill as it leaves Hertford and climbs the hill to Upper Bengeo and then as Bengeo Street as it continues through, and then out of, Bengeo to the north. Leaving Port Hill to the east runs The Warren, an ancient footpath along the edge of the River Beane and Hartham Common leading to the ancient church of St Leonard.[8]
Bengeo has various amenities[9] including a post office, local shops, several public houses, two veterinary practices, a number of sports teams, two churches and a Plymouth Brethren Meeting Room. There are two Stateprimary schools, Mill Mead Primary School in Port Vale in Lower Bengeo close to Hertford and, at the opposite end of Bengeo on the north end of The Avenue, Bengeo Primary School; on the east side is Duncombe School, an independent preparatory school.[10]
Notable buildingsedit
Holy Trinity parish church, New RoadBengeo Watertower
The former parish church of St Leonard, Bengeo, is a 12th-century Norman building and the oldest building in Hertford.[2] It was the parish church of Bengeo until 1855, when it was succeeded by the new Holy Trinity parish church designed by Benjamin Ferrey.[11] St. Leonard's is still used for regular Sunday services in summer months, as well as hosting exhibitions and concerts.[12]
Close to St Leonard's Church along St Leonard's Road are three of Hertford's oldest houses, Revels Hall, built in the mid sixteenth century,[13]Bengeo Old House, formerly the vicarage, built in the late sixteenth century[14] and Bengeo Hall, built in the late seventeenth century[15] and home to landscape painter Joshua Gosselin.[16] All are Grade II* listed buildings.
On the west side of Bengeo are two further Grade II listed buildings, The Old Pest House and Little Molewood. The former, on the corner of Byde Street and Fanshawe Street, was built in 1763 as a smallpox isolation hospital;[17] the latter, situated on The Avenue, is an arts and crafts style house, built in 1904 for the Graveson family of Hertford by the architects Barry Parker and Raymond Unwin, who were the architects and planners of Letchworth Garden City.[18]
The prominent concrete water tower on The Drive was built in 1929 and opened in 1930 to boost the water supply to new housing which could no longer be adequately accommodated by the then (but no longer) existing pumping station and water tower on Tower Street. The Drive was developed after the construction of the tower.[19] Today it has an array of aerials on the top, providing inter alia a local television relay from Crystal Palace transmitting station.
Notable peopleedit
Captain W. E. Johns, author of many books including the Biggles series of novels, was born in February 1893 in Molewood Road, Bengeo.[20]
Sir Thomas Dimsdale (1712–1800), pioneer of smallpox inoculation who inoculated Catherine the Great of Russia. He lived at Port Hill House[21] and established an inoculation house still known as "The Pest House" on the corner of Byde Street and Fanshawe Street.[22] He was also MP for Hertford from 1780 to 1789.[23]
Thomas Charles Byde Rooke (1806–1858) was an English physician who married into the royal family of the Kingdom of Hawaii was born in Bengeo.[citation needed] He built a mansion called the Rooke House in Honolulu that became popular with political and social leaders of the Kingdom.
Lieutenant-General Arthur Ernest Percival CB DSO* OBE MC OStJ DL (26 December 1887 – 31 January 1966) was a British Army officer and World War I veteran and attended school in Bengeo. He built a successful military career during the interwar period but is most noted for his involvement in World War II, when he commanded the forces of the British Commonwealth during the Battle of Malaya and the subsequent Battle of Singapore.[26]
John George Howard, (1803–1890) born John Corby in Bengeo,[27] and was an official surveyor and civil engineer for the City of Toronto government in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He was also the first professional architect in Toronto where he was responsible for the design of numerous public, commercial and residential buildings. He was the principal donor of High Park to the people of Toronto.[28]
Edmund Feilde (1620–1676) politician and barrister owned land in Bengeo.[29]
Noel Pemberton Billing (1881–1948) aviator, inventor, publisher, extreme right-wing politician and MP for East Hertfordshire lived on Farquhar Street in 'Hertford House'[31] and built a number of bungalows in the grounds, which incorporated some of his inventions. The aviation company he founded (Supermarine) went on to develop, amongst other aircraft, the Spitfire.
George Ezra (1993–present), singer and songwriter, lived in Bengeo and attended Bengeo Primary School.
John Tate (1448–1507) the first paper maker in England founded the first English paper mill on the edge of Bengeo at Sele Mill on the River Beane. Nearby The Sele School features a scroll of paper on their school crest acknowledging the link to Tate.
Oliver Skipp (2000–present), professional footballer with Tottenham Hotspur, started out his footballing career with Bengeo Tigers and attended independent Duncombe School in Bengeo.
Ric Blaxhill (1962–present), British radio and TV music producer and music programming director, lives in Bengeo.
Henry Blair Johnson Taylor (1875 – 1903) cricketer rugby union player and son of Major-General Reynell Taylor died in Bengeo.[citation needed]
Christian Scales (1996–present) English journeyman professional footballer, started his soccer career at Bengeo Tigers.
^Harris, Roger. "A Brief Biography of Captain W.E. Johns, Part One". William Earl Johns, Born Sunday 5th February 1893 - Died Friday 21st June 1968. Roger Harris.
^Turnor, Lewis. . Pages 166-169 contain details about Dimsdale. Steven Austin and Sons. Archived from the original on 12 November 2013.
^"The Old Pest House, Hertford, Hertfordshire". britishlistedbuildings.co.uk.
^"Thomas Dimsdale | NatWest Group Heritage Hub". www.natwestgroup.com.
^. Archived from the original on 10 May 2012. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
^McMann, Evelyn de Rostaing (1 January 2003). Biographical Index of Artists in Canada. University of Toronto Press. ISBN9780802027900 – via Google Books.
^"FEILDE, Edmund (1620-76), of Shephalbury and Marden Hill, Herts. | History of Parliament Online". www.historyofparliamentonline.org.
^"LEE, Sir Walter (c.1350-1395), of Albury, Herts. | History of Parliament Online". www.historyofparliamentonline.org.
^Oscar Wilde's Last Stand: Decadence, Conspiracy, and the Most Outrageous Trial of the Century, 1997, Philip Hoare, Arcade Publishing Ltd.
^Taylor, Barry. "Kenneth B. Gardner (1924-1995)". www.bl.uk.
^"OBITUARY : Kenneth Gardner". The Independent. 1 May 1995.
External linksedit
Media related to Bengeo at Wikimedia Commons
January 01, 1970
bengeo, suburb, former, village, civil, parish, north, west, edge, county, town, hertford, hertfordshire, england, electoral, ward, hertford, 1891, parish, population, 2586, 1894, parish, abolished, form, rural, urban, leonard, church, location, within, hertfo. Bengeo ˈ b ɛ n dʒ oʊ is a suburb and former village and civil parish on the north west edge of the county town of Hertford in Hertfordshire England 1 2 It is an electoral ward of Hertford 3 In 1891 the parish had a population of 2586 4 In 1894 the parish was abolished to form Bengeo Rural and Bengeo Urban 5 BengeoSt Leonard s Church BengeoBengeoLocation within HertfordshireOS grid referenceTL3213DistrictEast HertfordshireShire countyHertfordshireRegionEastCountryEnglandSovereign stateUnited KingdomPost townHertfordPostcode districtSG14Dialling code01992PoliceHertfordshireFireHertfordshireAmbulanceEast of EnglandUK ParliamentHertford and StortfordList of places UK England Hertfordshire 51 48 14 N 0 04 44 W 51 804 N 0 079 W 51 804 0 079 Contents 1 Toponym 2 Geography and amenities 3 Notable buildings 4 Notable people 5 References 6 External linksToponym edit nbsp River Beane towards MolewoodTaken from Beane Road Bengeo is on a rise between the River Beane and River Rib overlooking Hartham Common Its toponym is derived from an Old English name meaning spur or ridge over the River Beane 6 The Domesday Book of 1086 records it as Belingehou 7 It evolved through forms including Beneggho and Beningho in the 13th century Bengeho in the 15th century and Benjow in the 16th century before reaching its current form 2 Geography and amenities edit nbsp The Avenue Other than the south east corner which adjoins Hertford Bengeo is mostly surrounded by countryside Informally the terms having no official status Bengeo consists of Upper and Lower Bengeo Upper Bengeo is the area at the top of Port Hill leading out of Hertford town centre while Lower Bengeo is the area on the side of the hill and centred on Byde Street On an approximate north south trajectory Bengeo is bisected by the B158 known as Port Hill as it leaves Hertford and climbs the hill to Upper Bengeo and then as Bengeo Street as it continues through and then out of Bengeo to the north Leaving Port Hill to the east runs The Warren an ancient footpath along the edge of the River Beane and Hartham Common leading to the ancient church of St Leonard 8 Bengeo has various amenities 9 including a post office local shops several public houses two veterinary practices a number of sports teams two churches and a Plymouth Brethren Meeting Room There are two State primary schools Mill Mead Primary School in Port Vale in Lower Bengeo close to Hertford and at the opposite end of Bengeo on the north end of The Avenue Bengeo Primary School on the east side is Duncombe School an independent preparatory school 10 Notable buildings edit nbsp Holy Trinity parish church New Road nbsp Bengeo Watertower The former parish church of St Leonard Bengeo is a 12th century Norman building and the oldest building in Hertford 2 It was the parish church of Bengeo until 1855 when it was succeeded by the new Holy Trinity parish church designed by Benjamin Ferrey 11 St Leonard s is still used for regular Sunday services in summer months as well as hosting exhibitions and concerts 12 Close to St Leonard s Church along St Leonard s Road are three of Hertford s oldest houses Revels Hall built in the mid sixteenth century 13 Bengeo Old House formerly the vicarage built in the late sixteenth century 14 and Bengeo Hall built in the late seventeenth century 15 and home to landscape painter Joshua Gosselin 16 All are Grade II listed buildings On the west side of Bengeo are two further Grade II listed buildings The Old Pest House and Little Molewood The former on the corner of Byde Street and Fanshawe Street was built in 1763 as a smallpox isolation hospital 17 the latter situated on The Avenue is an arts and crafts style house built in 1904 for the Graveson family of Hertford by the architects Barry Parker and Raymond Unwin who were the architects and planners of Letchworth Garden City 18 The prominent concrete water tower on The Drive was built in 1929 and opened in 1930 to boost the water supply to new housing which could no longer be adequately accommodated by the then but no longer existing pumping station and water tower on Tower Street The Drive was developed after the construction of the tower 19 Today it has an array of aerials on the top providing inter alia a local television relay from Crystal Palace transmitting station Notable people editCaptain W E Johns author of many books including the Biggles series of novels was born in February 1893 in Molewood Road Bengeo 20 Sir Thomas Dimsdale 1712 1800 pioneer of smallpox inoculation who inoculated Catherine the Great of Russia He lived at Port Hill House 21 and established an inoculation house still known as The Pest House on the corner of Byde Street and Fanshawe Street 22 He was also MP for Hertford from 1780 to 1789 23 Thomas Charles Byde Rooke 1806 1858 was an English physician who married into the royal family of the Kingdom of Hawaii was born in Bengeo citation needed He built a mansion called the Rooke House in Honolulu that became popular with political and social leaders of the Kingdom Les Howe 1912 1999 professional footballer with 165 appearances for Tottenham Hotspur was born in Bengeo 24 Sir John Rennie 1794 1874 architect and civil engineer responsible for completing London Bridge and the Plymouth Breakwater died in Bengeo 25 Sir Roy Malcolm Anderson FRS born 12 April 1947 is a leading British expert on epidemiology and was educated at Duncombe School in Bengeo He has mathematically modelled the spread of diseases such as new variant Creutzfeldt Jakob disease and AIDS Lieutenant General Arthur Ernest Percival CB DSO OBE MC OStJ DL 26 December 1887 31 January 1966 was a British Army officer and World War I veteran and attended school in Bengeo He built a successful military career during the interwar period but is most noted for his involvement in World War II when he commanded the forces of the British Commonwealth during the Battle of Malaya and the subsequent Battle of Singapore 26 John George Howard 1803 1890 born John Corby in Bengeo 27 and was an official surveyor and civil engineer for the City of Toronto government in Toronto Ontario Canada He was also the first professional architect in Toronto where he was responsible for the design of numerous public commercial and residential buildings He was the principal donor of High Park to the people of Toronto 28 Edmund Feilde 1620 1676 politician and barrister owned land in Bengeo 29 Walter Lee c 1350 1395 politician and High Sheriff of Hertfordshire and Essex owned land in Bengeo 30 Noel Pemberton Billing 1881 1948 aviator inventor publisher extreme right wing politician and MP for East Hertfordshire lived on Farquhar Street in Hertford House 31 and built a number of bungalows in the grounds which incorporated some of his inventions The aviation company he founded Supermarine went on to develop amongst other aircraft the Spitfire George Ezra 1993 present singer and songwriter lived in Bengeo and attended Bengeo Primary School James Judd 1949 present classical music conductor spent his childhood and youth in Bengeo living in The Drive He was music director of the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra from 1987 to 2001 and music director of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra NZSO from 1999 to 2007 Presently 2017 he is music director of the Israel Symphony Orchestra Rishon LeZion artistic director and principal conductor of the Daejeon Philharmonic Orchestra in South Korea and music director designate of the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra John Tate 1448 1507 the first paper maker in England founded the first English paper mill on the edge of Bengeo at Sele Mill on the River Beane Nearby The Sele School features a scroll of paper on their school crest acknowledging the link to Tate Oliver Skipp 2000 present professional footballer with Tottenham Hotspur started out his footballing career with Bengeo Tigers and attended independent Duncombe School in Bengeo Ric Blaxhill 1962 present British radio and TV music producer and music programming director lives in Bengeo Henry Blair Johnson Taylor 1875 1903 cricketer rugby union player and son of Major General Reynell Taylor died in Bengeo citation needed Christian Scales 1996 present English journeyman professional footballer started his soccer career at Bengeo Tigers Ivor Grattan Guinness 1941 2014 Mathematician and Kenneth O May Prize winner lived in Bengeo Kenneth Burslam Gardner 1924 1995 scholar librarian 32 and winner of the 1995 Yamagata Banto Prize died in Bengeo 33 References edit Archbishops Council Holy Trinity with Christ Church Bengeo A Church Near You The Church of England Archived from the original on 27 May 2014 a b c Page W H ed 1912 A History of the County of Hertford Volume 3 Victoria County History pp 423 427 Hertford Bengeo Ward East Herts Council Archived from the original on 23 September 2015 Population statistics Bengeo AP CP through time A Vision of Britain through Time Retrieved 24 October 2022 Hertford Registration District UKBMD Retrieved 24 October 2022 Williamson Tom 2000 The origins of Hertfordshire Origins of the Shire Manchester Manchester University Press p 65 ISBN 0 7190 4491 X Browse Family History Domesday Book Documents Online The National Archives Discover Hertford Accessed 3 November 2013 Archived from the original on 14 November 2013 Retrieved 3 November 2013 Reading writing and playing in Bengeo Hertfordshire Life 29 December 2011 Private Prep amp Pre Prep School in Hertfordshire Duncombe School Duncombe School Greely Cliff Our History Holy Trinity Our History The Parish of Bengeo Archived from the original on 1 November 2013 Introduction to St Leonard s St Leonards The Parish of Bengeo Archived from the original on 29 July 2013 Revels Hall British Listed Buildings Online English Heritage Bengeo Old House British Listed Buildings Online English Heritage Bengeo Hall British Listed Buildings Online English Heritage Gosselin Joshua View from Bengeo Hall Wikigallery The Old Pest House British Listed Buildings Online English Heritage Little Molewood British Listed Buildings Online English Heritage Bengeo Water Tower ourhertfordandware org uk Harris Roger A Brief Biography of Captain W E Johns Part One William Earl Johns Born Sunday 5th February 1893 Died Friday 21st June 1968 Roger Harris Turnor Lewis History of the ancient town and borough of Hertford Pages 166 169 contain details about Dimsdale Steven Austin and Sons Archived from the original on 12 November 2013 The Old Pest House Hertford Hertfordshire britishlistedbuildings co uk Thomas Dimsdale NatWest Group Heritage Hub www natwestgroup com Football Statisticians Obituaries dead link Sir John Rennie at www stanford edu Arthur Percival Biography Archived from the original on 10 May 2012 Retrieved 19 March 2013 McMann Evelyn de Rostaing 1 January 2003 Biographical Index of Artists in Canada University of Toronto Press ISBN 9780802027900 via Google Books History of High Park FEILDE Edmund 1620 76 of Shephalbury and Marden Hill Herts History of Parliament Online www historyofparliamentonline org LEE Sir Walter c 1350 1395 of Albury Herts History of Parliament Online www historyofparliamentonline org Oscar Wilde s Last Stand Decadence Conspiracy and the Most Outrageous Trial of the Century 1997 Philip Hoare Arcade Publishing Ltd Taylor Barry Kenneth B Gardner 1924 1995 www bl uk OBITUARY Kenneth Gardner The Independent 1 May 1995 External links edit nbsp Media related to Bengeo at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bengeo amp oldid 1154249911, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
