Brent Pelham is a 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 authorit ...
in the
East Hertfordshire
East Hertfordshire is a local government district in Hertfordshire, England. Its council is based in Hertford, the county town of Hertfordshire. The largest town in the district is Bishop's Stortford, and the other main towns are Ware, Bunti ...
district, in the county of
Hertfordshire, England, and situated approximately 5 miles (8 km) east of
Buntingford. It is one of the three Pelhams, with
Stocking Pelham and
Furneux Pelham
Furneux Pelham or Furneaux Pelham is a village and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England. The village is one of the Pelhams, part of an early medieval larger swathe of land known as Pelham including Brent Pelham to the north and Stocking Pel ...
. It shares a parish council with
Meesden.
The
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 Mary the Virgin dates from the 14th century. It contains a black marble tomb slab of the 13th century, upon which the name of legendary local dragon-slayer
Piers Shonks
Sir Piers Shonks was a legendary figure in the village of Brent Pelham in Hertfordshire, England, whose tomb is within the north wall of the village's church. According to local legend, Shonks slew a dragon that was causing havoc in the distric ...
and a date of 1086 has been added. Symbols of the
Four Evangelists – angel, eagle, lion, and bull – have been carved in relief around a dragon's mouth. The church is part of a benefice with
Anstey, Brent Pelham,
Hormead
Hormead is a civil parish in Hertfordshire, England. It comprises the villages of Great Hormead and Little Hormead and the hamlet of Hare Street and lies in the East Hertfordshire district. Hare Street House is located within Hare Street. In 2011 ...
,
Meesden and
Wyddial
Wyddial is a village and civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district of Hertfordshire, England. It is located around a mile and a half north-east of Buntingford (OS grid reference ), and lies due north of Greenwich on the Prime Meridian.
...
.
Near St Mary's church are ancient
stocks which could accommodate up to three people. A derelict
windmill
A windmill is a structure that converts wind power into rotational energy using vanes called sails or blades, specifically to mill grain (gristmills), but the term is also extended to windpumps, wind turbines, and other applications, in some ...
survives in the village.
There is a
Royal Observer Corps observer post just outside the village, but it is now in a state of disrepair. It has an
Orlit, which is rare for posts in this area.
See also
*
The Hundred Parishes
References
External links
Villages in Hertfordshire
Civil parishes in Hertfordshire
East Hertfordshire District
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