Bengeo is a suburb and former village and
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...
on the northwest edge of the county town of
Hertford
Hertford ( ) is the county town of Hertfordshire, England, and is also a civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district of the county. The parish had a population of 26,783 at the 2011 census.
The town grew around a ford on the River Lea, ne ...
in
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...
, England.
It is an
electoral ward
A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected to t ...
of Hertford. In 1891 the parish had a population of 2586. In 1894 the parish was abolished to form
Bengeo Rural
Bengeo Rural is a civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district of Hertfordshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 601, increasing at the 2011 Census to 644. The parish includes the villages of Tonwell and Chapmore ...
and
Bengeo Urban
Bengeo is a suburb and former village and civil parish on the northwest edge of the county town of Hertford in Hertfordshire, England. It is an Wards of the United Kingdom, electoral ward of Hertford. In 1891 the parish had a population of 2586 ...
.
Toponym
![BengeoBeaneRoad](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/BengeoBeaneRoad.jpg)
Bengeo is on a rise between the
River Beane
The River Beane is a short river in the county of Hertfordshire, England. A tributary of the River Lea, it rises to the south-west of Sandon in the hills northeast of Stevenage and joins the Lea at Hartham Common in Hertford.
Watermills
In ...
and
River Rib
The River Rib originates near the East Hertfordshire village of Therfield and runs parallel with the A10 through Chipping, Wyddial, Buntingford, Westmill, Braughing, Puckeridge and Standon, before dividing the villages of Thundridge and Wa ...
overlooking
Hartham Common. Its
toponym
Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of '' toponyms'' (proper names of places, also known as place names and geographic names), including their origins, meanings, usage and types. Toponym is the general term for a proper name of ...
is derived from an
Old English
Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...
name meaning spur or ridge over the River Beane. The
Domesday Book
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
of 1086 records it as ''Belingehou''. 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.
[
]
Geography and amenities
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.
Bengeo has various of its own amenities including a post office, local shops, several public houses
A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...
, two veterinary practices, a number of sports teams, two churches (see below) and a Plymouth Brethren
The Plymouth Brethren or Assemblies of Brethren are a low church and non-conformist Christian movement whose history can be traced back to Dublin, Ireland, in the mid to late 1820s, where they originated from Anglicanism. The group emphasizes ...
Meeting Room. There are two State
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
primary schools
A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ed ...
, 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
Bengeo is a suburb and former village and civil parish on the northwest edge of the county town of Hertford in Hertfordshire, England. It is an electoral ward of Hertford. In 1891 the parish had a population of 2586. In 1894 the parish was abol ...
; on the east side is Duncombe School, an independent preparatory school.
Notable buildings
The former parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...
of St Leonard, Bengeo, is a 12th-century Norman
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norm ...
building and the oldest building in Hertford.[ It was the parish church of Bengeo until 1855, when it was succeeded by the new Holy Trinity parish church designed by ]Benjamin Ferrey
Benjamin Ferrey FSA FRIBA (1 April 1810–22 August 1880) was an English architect who worked mostly in the Gothic Revival.
Family
Benjamin Ferrey was the youngest son of Benjamin Ferrey Snr (1779–1847), a draper who became Mayor of Christc ...
. St. Leonard's is still used for regular Sunday services in summer months, as well as hosting exhibitions and concerts.
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, ''Bengeo Old House'', formerly the vicarage, built in the late sixteenth century and ''Bengeo Hall'', built in the late seventeenth century and home to landscape painter Joshua Gosselin. All are Grade II* listed buildings
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
.
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; 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
Sir Raymond Unwin (2 November 1863 – 29 June 1940) was a prominent and influential English engineer, architect and town planner, with an emphasis on improvements in working class housing.
Early years
Raymond Unwin was born in Rotherham, Yorks ...
, who were the architects and planners of Letchworth Garden City
Letchworth Garden City, commonly known as Letchworth, is a town in the North Hertfordshire district of Hertfordshire, England. It is noted for being the first garden city. The population at the time of the 2011 census was 33,249.
Letchworth ...
.
The prominent concrete water tower
A water tower is an elevated structure supporting a water tank constructed at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system, distribution system for potable water, and to provide emergency storage for fire protection. Water towe ...
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. Today it has an array of aerials on the top, providing ''inter alia'' a local television relay from Crystal Palace transmitting station
The Crystal Palace transmitting station, officially known as Arqiva Crystal Palace, is a broadcasting and telecommunications site in the Crystal Palace area of the London Borough of Bromley, England (). It is located on the site of the former t ...
.
Notable people
* Captain W. E. Johns, author of many books including the Biggles
James Bigglesworth, nicknamed "Biggles", is a fictional pilot and adventurer, the title character and hero of the ''Biggles'' series of adventure books, written for young readers by W. E. Johns (1893–1968). Biggles made his first appearance ...
series of novels, was born in February 1893 in Molewood Road, Bengeo.
* Sir Thomas Dimsdale (1712–1800), pioneer of smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...
inoculation who inoculated Catherine the Great
, en, Catherine Alexeievna Romanova, link=yes
, house =
, father = Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst
, mother = Joanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp
, birth_date =
, birth_name = Princess Sophie of Anhal ...
of Russia. He lived at Port Hill House and established an inoculation house still known as "The Pest House" on the corner of Byde Street and Fanshawe Street. He was also MP for Hertford
Hertford ( ) is the county town of Hertfordshire, England, and is also a civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district of the county. The parish had a population of 26,783 at the 2011 census.
The town grew around a ford on the River Lea, ne ...
from 1780 to 1789.
*Thomas Charles Byde Rooke
Thomas Charles Byde Rooke (18 May 1806 – 28 November 1858) was an English physician who married into the royal family of the Kingdom of Hawaii. He built a mansion called the Rooke House in Honolulu that became popular with political and socia ...
(1806–1858) was an English physician who married into the royal family of the Kingdom of Hawaii was born in Bengeo. 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
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional association football, football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English footba ...
, was born in Bengeo.
* Sir John Rennie (1794–1874) architect and civil engineer responsible for completing London Bridge
Several bridges named London Bridge have spanned the River Thames between the City of London and Southwark, in central London. The current crossing, which opened to traffic in 1973, is a box girder bridge built from concrete and steel. It r ...
and the Plymouth Breakwater
Plymouth Breakwater is a stone breakwater protecting Plymouth Sound and the anchorages near Plymouth, Devon, England. It is wide at the top and the base is . It lies in about of water. Around 4 million tons of rock were used in its constru ...
died in Bengeo.
* Sir Roy Malcolm Anderson FRS (born 12 April 1947) is a leading British expert on epidemiology
Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution (who, when, and where), patterns and determinants of health and disease conditions in a defined population.
It is a cornerstone of public health, and shapes policy decisions and evidenc ...
and was educated at Duncombe School in Bengeo. He has mathematically modelled the spread of diseases such as new variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease
Variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (vCJD), commonly referred to as "mad cow disease" or "human mad cow disease" to distinguish it from its BSE counterpart, is a fatal type of brain disease within the transmissible spongiform encephalopathy fa ...
and AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...
.
*Lieutenant-General Arthur Ernest Percival
Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom), Lieutenant-General Arthur Ernest Percival, (26 December 1887 – 31 January 1966) was a senior British Army officer. He saw service in the First World War and built a successful military career during the i ...
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.
*John George Howard
John George Howard (born John Corby; July 27, 1803 – February 3, 1890) was the official surveyor and civil engineer for the government of Toronto in Upper Canada and later Canada. He was also the first professional architect in Toronto. He d ...
, (1803–1890) born John Corby in Bengeo, and was an official surveyor and civil engineer for the City of Toronto government
The municipal government of Toronto ( incorporated as the City of Toronto) is the local government responsible for administering the city of Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a rec ...
in Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
, 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
High Park is a municipal park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. High Park is a mixed recreational and natural park, with sporting facilities, cultural facilities, educational facilities, gardens, playgrounds and a zoo. One-third of the park remains ...
to the people of Toronto.
* Edmund Feilde (1620–1676) politician and barrister owned land in Bengeo.
* Walter Lee (c. 1350 – 1395) politician and High Sheriff of Hertfordshire
The High Sheriff of Hertfordshire was an ancient Sheriff title originating in the time of the Angles, not long after the foundation of the Kingdom of England, which was in existence for around a thousand years. On 1 April 1974, under the provisio ...
and Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
owned land in Bengeo.
*Noel Pemberton Billing
Noel Pemberton Billing (31 January 1881 – 11 November 1948), sometimes known as Noel Pemberton-Billing, was a British aviator, inventor, publisher and Member of Parliament for Hertford. He founded the firm that became Supermarine and promoted ...
(1881–1948) aviator, inventor, publisher, extreme right-wing politician and MP for East Hertfordshire lived on Farquhar Street in 'Hertford House' and built a number of bungalows in the grounds, which incorporated some of his inventions. The aviation company he founded (Supermarine
Supermarine was a British aircraft manufacturer that is most famous for producing the Supermarine Spitfire, Spitfire fighter plane during World War II as well as a range of seaplanes and flying boats, and a series of Jet engine, jet-powered figh ...
) went on to develop, amongst other aircraft, the Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 to the Rolls-Royce Griff ...
.
*George Ezra
George Ezra Barnett (born 7 June 1993) is an English singer, songwriter and guitarist. After releasing two EPs, '' Did You Hear the Rain?'' (2013) and '' Cassy O (2014), Ezra rose to prominence with the release of his hit single, "Budapest", ...
(1993–present), singer and songwriter, lived in Bengeo and attended Bengeo Primary School.
*James Judd
James Judd (born 30 October 1949, Hertford) is a British conductor.
James Judd grew up in Hertford, learning the piano, flute and organ as a child and discovering his talent for conducting at high school. He studied at the Trinity College of Mu ...
(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
The Florida Philharmonic Orchestra (or FPO, founded in 1985 as the Philharmonic Orchestra of Florida) was a symphony orchestra based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and serving the South Florida metropolitan area (including Miami-Dade, Broward, and ...
, from 1987 to 2001, and music director of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) is a symphony orchestra based in Wellington, New Zealand. The national orchestra of New Zealand, the NZSO is an autonomous Crown entity owned by the Government of New Zealand, per the New Zealand Sympho ...
(NZSO), from 1999 to 2007. Presently (2017) he is music director of the Israel Symphony Orchestra Rishon LeZion
The Israel Symphony Orchestra Rishon LeZion (ISO) (in hebrew: התזמורת הסימפונית הישראלית ראשון לציון) was founded in 1988 by the municipality of Rishon LeZion. A year later, in 1989, it became the resident orchestr ...
, artistic director and principal conductor of the Daejeon
Daejeon () is South Korea's fifth-largest metropolis, with a population of 1.5 million as of 2019. Located in the central-west region of South Korea alongside forested hills and the Geum River, the city is known both for its technology and ...
Philharmonic Orchestra in South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
, and music director-designate of the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra.
*John Tate John Tate may refer to:
* John Tate (mathematician) (1925–2019), American mathematician
* John Torrence Tate Sr. (1889–1950), American physicist
* John Tate (Australian politician) (1895–1977)
* John Tate (actor) (1915–1979), Australian act ...
(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
The River Beane is a short river in the county of Hertfordshire, England. A tributary of the River Lea, it rises to the south-west of Sandon in the hills northeast of Stevenage and joins the Lea at Hartham Common in Hertford.
Watermills
In ...
. Nearby The Sele School
The Sele School is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form with academy status, located in Hertford, Hertfordshire, in the south east of England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders ...
features a scroll of paper on their school crest acknowledging the link to Tate.
*Oliver Skipp
Oliver William Skipp (born 16 September 2000) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur.
Club career
Skipp started his youth career with Bengeo Tigers FC before joining Tottenham H ...
(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.
* Christian Scales (1996–present) English journeyman professional footballer, started his soccer career at Bengeo Tigers.
*Ivor Grattan-Guinness
Ivor Owen Grattan-Guinness (23 June 1941 – 12 December 2014) was a historian of mathematics and logic.
Life
Grattan-Guinness was born in Bakewell, England; his father was a mathematics teacher and educational administrator. He gained his bac ...
(1941 - 2014) Mathematician and Kenneth O. May Prize
Kenneth O. May Prize and Medal in history of mathematics is an award of the International Commission on the History of Mathematics (ICHM) "for the encouragement and promotion of the history of mathematics internationally". It was established in 19 ...
winner, lived in Bengeo.
*Kenneth Burslam Gardner (1924-1995), scholar, librarian and winner of the 1995 Yamagata Banto Prize died in Bengeo.
References
External links
{{Commons category-inline, Bengeo
Populated places in Hertfordshire
Wards of Hertfordshire
Former civil parishes in Hertfordshire
Geography of Hertford