Rickmansworth () is a town in southwest

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, about northwest of

central London Central London is the innermost part of London, in England, spanning several boroughs. Over time, a number of definitions have been used to define the scope of Central London for statistics, urban planning and local government. Its characteris ...

and inside the perimeter of the

M25 motorway The M25 or London Orbital Motorway is a major road encircling most of Greater London. The motorway is one of the most important roads in the UK and one of the busiest. Margaret Thatcher opened the final section in 1986, making the M25 the lon ...

. The town is mainly to the north of the Grand Union Canal (formerly the

Grand Junction Canal The Grand Junction Canal is a canal in England from Braunston in Northamptonshire to the River Thames at Brentford, with a number of branches. The mainline was built between 1793 and 1805, to improve the route from the Midlands to London, by-p ...

) and the River Colne. The town of Watford is to the northeast. Rickmansworth is the administrative seat of the Three Rivers District Council. The

confluence In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...

of the River Chess and the River Gade with the Colne in Rickmansworth inspired the district's name. The enlarged Colne flows south to form a major tributary of the River Thames. The town is served by the

Metropolitan line The Metropolitan line, colloquially known as the Met, is a London Underground line between in the City of London and and in Buckinghamshire, with branches to in Hertfordshire and in Hillingdon. Printed in magenta on the tube map, the line i ...

of the London Underground and

Chiltern Railways Chiltern Railways, formally The Chiltern Railway Company Limited, is a British train operating company that has operated the Chiltern Railways franchise since July 1996. Since 2009, it has been a subsidiary of Arriva UK Trains. Chiltern Railw ...

from London Marylebone to Aylesbury railway station.

Toponymy

The name Rickmansworth comes from the Saxon name ''Ryckmer'', the local landowner, and ''worth'' meaning a farm or stockade. In the Domesday Book of 1086 it was recorded as the Manor of Prichemaresworde. Other spellings include Rykemarwurthe (1119–46), Richemaresworthe (1180), Rykemerewrthe (1248), Richemereworthe (1259), Rikesmareswrth (1287), Rikmansworth (1382), ''Rikmeresworth'' (1396) and ''Rykemerysworth'' (1418).

History

There was a settlement in this part of the Colne Valley in the Stone Age. Rickmansworth was one of five manors with which the great Abbey of St Albans had been endowed when founded in 793 by King

Offa of Mercia Offa (died 29 July 796 AD) was List of monarchs of Mercia, King of Mercia, a kingdom of History of Anglo-Saxon England, Anglo-Saxon England, from 757 until his death. The son of Thingfrith and a descendant of Eowa of Mercia, Eowa, Offa came to ...

. Local tithes supported the abbey, which provided clergy to serve the people until the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539. Around the time of the Domesday Book, the population of "Prichemareworth" may have been about 200.

Cardinal Wolsey Thomas Wolsey ( – 29 November 1530) was an English statesman and Catholic bishop. When Henry VIII became King of England in 1509, Wolsey became the king's almoner. Wolsey's affairs prospered and by 1514 he had become the controlling figur ...

, in his capacity as Abbot of St Albans, held the Manor of le More in the valley. The manor house was replaced by the hill-top mansion Moor Park, which eventually became the residence of Admiral Lord Anson, who commissioned

Capability Brown Lancelot Brown (born c. 1715–16, baptised 30 August 1716 – 6 February 1783), more commonly known as Capability Brown, was an English gardener and landscape architect, who remains the most famous figure in the history of the English la ...

to remake the formal gardens, and in 1828 of the

Barons Ebury Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knigh ...

; it is now the Golf Club House. The wider area, including Croxley Green, Moor Park,

Batchworth Batchworth was once a hamlet and is now a civil parish and part of Rickmansworth in Hertfordshire. The parish of Batchworth was created on 1 April 2017 consisting of two Three Rivers District Council wards: Rickmansworth Town, and Moor Park and E ...

, Mill End, West Hyde and Chorleywood, formed the original parish of Rickmansworth. In 1851, the population had grown to 4,800, and the parish was divided. St Mary's Church serves the parish concentrated in the town and extending to Batchworth and parts of Moor Park. The town had a population of 14,571 recorded at the 2001 census. The three rivers, the Colne, Chess and Gade, provided water for the watercress trade and power for corn milling, silk weaving, paper making and brewing, all long gone. Other industries have included leather-tanning, soft drinks, laundry, straw-plaiting and stocking production. Now, the rivers, canal and flooded gravel pits provide for recreation. West Mill, a water mill, existed at the time of the Domesday Survey. It was leased to the abbot and convent of St Albans by Ralph Bukberd for a term of years ending in 1539. In 1533, they leased it from the end of this term for twenty-six years to Richard Wilson of Watford. He was to keep in repair the mill and also two millstones, thick, and in breadth. The mill was leased in 1544 to William Hutchinson, yeoman of the spicery, and Janet his wife for their lives. It afterwards came to John Wilson, and was granted in 1576–77 to Richard Master. There was also a water-mill called Batchworth Mill, and a fishery called Blacketts Mill in Rickmansworth. Batchworth Mill was later used as a cotton mill, but was bought in 1820 by John Dickinson & Co., and converted into paper mills, now the site of Affinity Water. Scotsbridge Mill was also productive but is now a restaurant with the unusual feature of a salmon run. During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries many of the principal inhabitants were described as "clothiers", from which it may be inferred that the manufacture of cloth was at one time carried on in the parish, but this industry has long since ceased. There were also silk and flock mills here, described in 1808 as recently built. A long-running dispute over water levels in the Batchford area, following construction of the Grand Junction Canal, was resolved in 1825, when an obelisk was erected in a pond, to act as a water gauge. It records the agreement made between the canal company, John Dickinson the miller at Batchworth Mill, and R. Williams of Moor Park the landowner. In July 1860, Lord Ebury obtained powers to construct a single-track railway line, the Watford and Rickmansworth Railway (WRR) between Rickmansworth and Watford. Opening in October 1862, Rickmansworth (Church Street) railway station was opposite the parish church of St Mary, with interchange sidings to the Grand Union Canal. The line had stations at Watford Junction and Watford High Street and a depot in Watford. A further Parliamentary authorisation was obtained a year later to construct an extension from Rickmansworth to connect with the

Great Western Railway The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament on 31 August 1835 and ran ...

's Uxbridge branch, but this was never realised. Despite hopes that the railway would bring economic development and serve the factories and warehouses that had developed along the Grand Union Canal, it was Watford that grew at a faster pace and drew business from Rickmansworth. The railway was dogged with financial problems and a further Act of Parliament in 1863 authorised the issue of further shares to the value of £30,000 (£40,000 worth had already been issued). The service consisted of five trains each way. The line was worked from the outset by the

London and North Western Railway The London and North Western Railway (LNWR, L&NWR) was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. In the late 19th century, the L&NWR was the largest joint stock company in the United Kingdom. In 1923, it became a constituent of the Lo ...

(LNWR), which paid the WRR 50% of the gross earnings. The railway was never financially successful and the Official Receiver was called in four years after opening. The company attempted to remedy its financial problems by opening several freight branches, the most notable being to the Croxley printers and to the Grand Union Canal at Croxley Green. The company was absorbed by the burgeoning LNWR whose station it shared at Watford Junction in 1881. Rickmansworth grew dramatically during the Victorian era and in the 1920s and 1930s as part of Metro-land, due to the extension of ''Metropolitan Railway'', and became a commuter town.

Transport

Train

Diesel express trains from Marylebone station, London, via

Harrow-on-the Hill Harrow on the Hill is a locality and historic village in the borough of Harrow in Greater London, England. The name refers to Harrow Hill, ,Mills, A., ''Dictionary of London Place Names'', (2001) and is located some half a mile south of the mode ...

, to

Aylesbury Aylesbury ( ) is the county town of Buckinghamshire, South East England. It is home to the Roald Dahl Children's Gallery, David Tugwell`s house on Watermead and the Waterside Theatre. It is in central Buckinghamshire, midway between High Wy ...

on the London to Aylesbury Line, and fast, electric

Metropolitan Metropolitan may refer to: * Metropolitan area, a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories * Metropolitan borough, a form of local government district in England * Metropolitan county, a typ ...

trains from the City of London, via

Baker Street Baker Street is a street in the Marylebone district of the City of Westminster in London. It is named after builder William Baker, who laid out the street in the 18th century. The street is most famous for its connection to the fictional detec ...

, to

Amersham Amersham ( ) is a market town and civil parish within the unitary authority of Buckinghamshire, England, in the Chiltern Hills, northwest of central London, from Aylesbury and from High Wycombe. Amersham is part of the London commuter belt. ...

stop at Rickmansworth station.

Motorway

Junctions 17 and 18 of the

are within Rickmansworth's boundaries, giving access to

Heathrow Airport Heathrow Airport (), called ''London Airport'' until 1966 and now known as London Heathrow , is a major international airport in London, England. It is the largest of the six international airports in the London airport system (the others be ...

and the national motorway network.

Bus

* 320 Rickmansworth to Hemel Hempstead * 324 Rickmansworth to Garston * 103 between Watford and High Wycombe, via

Beaconsfield Beaconsfield ( ) is a market town and civil parish within the unitary authority of Buckinghamshire, England, west-northwest of central London and south-southeast of Aylesbury. Three other towns are within : Gerrards Cross, Amersham and High W ...

, stops at Rickmansworth station * 724 between

and

Harlow Harlow is a large town and local government district located in the west of Essex, England. Founded as a new town, it is situated on the border with Hertfordshire and London, Harlow occupies a large area of land on the south bank of the upp ...

, via

St Albans St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major ...

and Ware, stops at Rickmansworth station

Politics and economy

Rickmansworth is a part of the UK Parliament

constituency An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger State (polity), state (a country, administrative region, ...

South West Hertfordshire South West Hertfordshire is a constituency in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament, represented since 2019 by Gagan Mohindra, a Conservative. Constituency profile Elevated and bordering Greater London and Buckinghamshire, this part of Her ...

. Gagan Mohindra has been the Member of Parliament since the December

2019 United Kingdom general election The 2019 United Kingdom general election was held on Thursday, 12 December 2019. It resulted in the Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party receiving a Landslide victory, landslide majority of 80 seats. The Conservatives made a net gain of 4 ...

. The agricultural co-operative, Quality Milk Producers has its headquarters in Scotsbridge House, as do the English Guernsey Cattle Society, the Jersey Cattle Society, the UK Holstein Society, the British Friesian Breeders Club, the Milk Development Council and the Centre for Dairy Information.

Police station

In 1897, a police station opened in the High Street adjoining the fire station. The site of the later police station on Rectory Road was purchased by Lidl in 2013 and the building was demolished. The residents association (RDRA) have opposed the proposal for a store. Rickmansworth police station is now located within Three Rivers House.

Geography

Valley Road in Rickmansworth has a frost hollow. This is caused by the local geography, notably the railway embankment which prevents the natural drainage of cold air from a specific part of the valley. The greatest daily temperature range in England was recorded on 29 August 1936 in Rickmansworth when the temperature climbed from 1.1 °C at dawn to 24.9 °C within 9 hours due to this unusual geographic feature.

Administrative history

Parish

Rickmansworth was an

ancient 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. ...

. Following the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 the parish was included in the Watford Poor Law Union, established in 1835. When sanitary districts were created in 1872, the parish of Rickmansworth therefore became part of the Watford Rural Sanitary District, which in turn became Watford Rural District in December 1894.

Rickmansworth Urban District (18981974)

Shortly after Watford Rural District had been created, the process of creating an urban district for the town of Rickmansworth began. An inquiry was held in February 1896 at the Town Hall in Rickmansworth, considering whether to turn the parish into urban district. The initial conclusion was that the whole parish was not appropriate for becoming an urban district, but that an urban district could perhaps be created for just part of it. It was eventually decided to split the parish of Rickmansworth into three parts. The hamlet of

Chorleywood Chorleywood is both a village and a civil parish in the Three Rivers District, Hertfordshire, on the border with Buckinghamshire, approximately northwest of Charing Cross. The village is adjacent to the Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding Na ...

was made into a separate parish, whilst the remainder of Rickmansworth parish was split between a Rickmansworth Urban parish (covering the built-up area including Mill End, Rickmansworth and Croxley Green), and a Rickmansworth Rural parish. The Rickmansworth Rural parish was not one contiguous area, but a number of detached pieces of land around the edges of the original parish. The Chorleywood and Rickmansworth Rural parishes remained in the Watford Rural District, whilst the parish of Rickmansworth Urban became Rickmansworth Urban District. These changes all came into force on 15 April 1898. The first meeting of Rickmansworth Urban District Council was held on 16 April 1898 at the Town Hall at 105 High Street in Rickmansworth. William Culley was elected the first chairman of the council. In 1930, Rickmansworth Urban District Council bought Basing House at 46 High Street in Rickmansworth, which had once been the home of William Penn. The council converted Basing House to become its offices and meeting place, holding its first meeting there in November 1930. The

Rickmansworth Rural Rickmansworth () is a town in southwest Hertfordshire, England, about northwest of central London and inside the perimeter of the M25 motorway. The town is mainly to the north of the Grand Union Canal (formerly the Grand Junction Canal) an ...

parish was abolished in 1935, with most of its area being added to Rickmansworth Urban District and the remainder to the neighbouring parish of Sarratt with effect from 1 April 1935. Rickmansworth Urban District Council was granted a coat of arms on 30 October 1953. Under the

Local Government Act 1972 The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant Acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...

, Rickmansworth Urban District was abolished, becoming part of the district of Three Rivers on 1 April 1974.

After 1974

No successor parish was created for Rickmansworth in 1974 and so it became an unparished area, governed directly by Three Rivers District Council. Two parish councils were subsequently created from parts of the former Rickmansworth Urban District. The civil parish of Croxley Green was created on 1 April 1986, covering the eastern part of the former Rickmansworth Urban District and an adjoining area transferred from the parish of Sarratt. The civil parish of

was created on 1 April 2017 covering the two Three Rivers district wards of Rickmansworth Town, and Moor Park and Eastbury. The Batchworth parish therefore covers much of Rickmansworth, including the town centre. The Batchworth and Croxley Green parishes do not cover the whole of the former Rickmansworth Urban District, with two areas remaining unparished: one around Maple Cross and Mill End, and another near Loudwater.

Education

Junior schools

* Arnett Hills JMI School * Rickmansworth Park JMI School * Shepherds Primary School * St. John's Catholic Primary School * St. Mary's C of E Primary School * St. Peter's C of E Voluntary Aided Primary School

Secondary schools

* Rickmansworth School *

St. Clement Danes School St Clement Danes School is a mixed academy school in Chorleywood, Hertfordshire. Admissions St Clement Danes is a partially selective school, providing education to students aged 11 (Year 7) through to 18 (Year 13). Most students are admit ...

* St Joan of Arc Catholic School * The Reach Free School

Independent schools

* The Royal Masonic School for Girls * Northwood Prep School * York House Prep School

Culture and sport

Watersmeet is a 515-seat theatre complex owned by the Three Rivers District Council in the town centre. Its auditorium can be transformed from a raked theatre to a flat floor for performances in the round, dancing, cabaret, weddings, indoor markets and craft fairs. The Rickmansworth Players (affiliated to NODA) is a well-established amateur dramatics society that performs musicals and plays on a regular basis. Rickmansworth Historical Society meets monthly from September to June in the Cloisters Hall. Rickmansworth is sometimes shortened to "Ricky", as used in the annual ''Ricky Week'' celebrations which occur in May. The town's canal history is remembered at the end of the week with the Rickmansworth Festival organised by Rickmansworth Waterways Trust. The annual ''Ricky Road Run'' takes place with more than 500 runners. The annual ''Victorian Evening'', held in the town centre at the end of November, was changed to ''Starlight Evening'' in 2011. Inspired by the reference to Rickmansworth on the first page of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams: "And then, one Thursday, nearly two thousand years after one man had been nailed to a tree for saying how great it would be to be nice to people for a change, a girl sitting on her own in a small café in Rickmansworth suddenly realized what it was that had been going wrong all this time, and she finally knew how the world could be made a good and happy place. This time it was right, it would work, and no one would have to get nailed to anything."

Aquadrome

The Aquadrome covers and includes the Aquadrome Local Nature Reserve,

and Bury Lakes, open grassland, areas of woodland, car parking, a café and a children's play area. Its boundaries are the River Colne to the north, the Grand Union Canal to the east and south and Stocker's Lake nature reserve to the west. In July 2009, it received a Green Flag Award for parks and open spaces which meet high standards. The lakes are old gravel quarries filled with water and stocked with fish but only Batchworth Lake is available for fishing. Some gravel from the site was used to build Wembley Stadium in 1923. Batchworth Lake is popular for water skiing events and hosts the Rickmansworth Water Ski Club. Bury Lake is home to

Bury Lake Young Mariners Bury Lake Young Mariners is an RYA certified sailing school and training centre for people of ages 7+ that has been in operation since 1983 at Bury Lake in Rickmansworth Aquadrome, Hertfordshire, England. The charity has more than 100 boats and ea ...

(BLYM); a sailing club and RYA-recognised teaching establishment.

Sports clubs

Rickmansworth Cricket Club {{Use British English, date=November 2019 Rickmansworth Cricket Club is one of the oldest cricket clubs in England. The badge denotes a founding date of 1787, however there are records of games prior to this, one in particular between the club an ...

was founded in 1787 and is one of the oldest recorded clubs in England. Its clubhouse was built in 1921 by Sir William Francis Reckitt – a member of the Reckitt and Colman Mustard dynasty. Rickmansworth Sports Club runs five teams in the Saracens Hertfordshire Cricket League. Over the years, other sports clubs have moved into the grounds, including Chess Valley Rugby Football Club and Rickmansworth & Chess Valley Hockey Clubs. Rickmansworth Golf Course is adjacent to Moor Park golf course. Rickmansworth Lawn Tennis Club also hosts Rickmansworth table tennis club matches. Rickmansworth Water Ski Club is located on Batchworth Lake. Rickmansworth hosts a sub-aqua Club. The William Penn Leisure Centre has an indoor swimming pool and sports facilities.

Filming

* '' The Adventures of Black Beauty'' (1972) * '' Grange Hill'' (1978) * ''

Raiders of the Lost Ark ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Lawrence Kasdan, based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. It stars Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronal ...

'' (1981) * '' Withnail and I'' (1986) * ''

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade ''Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade'' is a 1989 American action film, action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, from a story co-written by executive producer George Lucas. It is the third installment in the Indiana Jones, ''Indiana ...

'' (1989) * '' Double X: The Name of the Game '' (1992) * '' Ashes to Ashes (British TV series)'' (2009) * '' Harry and Paul'' (2010) * '' The First Men in the Moon'' (2010) * '' Foyle's War'' (Lesson in Murder) * '' Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (film)'' (Pig report scene, filmed at Stockers Farm) * '' Dick Turpin'' (Starring Richard O'Sullivan, filmed at Stockers Farm) * '' Genevieve'' (Genevieve 'broke down' at the top of Batchworth Hill, by the gates to Moor Park) * '' Metro-land (Television documentary)'' (1973) * ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

'' ( 'The Three Doctors' – 10th anniversary story 1972/1973) * '' Harry Enfield's Television Programme (80's) * '' New Tricks'' (2014) * ''

Children of Men ''Children of Men'' is a 2006 dystopian action thriller film co-written and directed by Alfonso Cuarón. The screenplay, based on P. D. James' 1992 novel '' The Children of Men'', was credited to five writers, with Clive Owen making uncredi ...

'' (2006) * ''

Silent Witness ''Silent Witness'' is a British crime drama television series produced by the BBC, which focuses on a team of forensic pathology experts and their investigations into various crimes. First broadcast in 1996, the series was created by Nigel McC ...

'' (2013) * ''

Doctor Foster Doctor Foster may refer to: * " Doctor Foster", an English nursery rhyme * ''Doctor Foster'' (TV series), a British television drama * Dr Foster Intelligence Dr Foster Intelligence is a provider of healthcare information in the United Kingdom, mo ...

'' (2015 & 2017 Filming took place in Green Lane, Croxley Green) * ''

The Professionals A professional is someone who is skilled in a profession. Professional or professionals may also refer to: * Professional sports Music *The Professionals (band), a British punk rock band formed in 1979 * ''The Professionals'' (The Professionals ...

'' (TV series) Harefield Road & Springwell Lock * ''

28 Weeks Later ''28 Weeks Later'' is a 2007 post-apocalyptic horror film directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, who co-wrote it with Rowan Joffé, Enrique López Lavigne and Jesus Olmo. The sequel to the 2002 film ''28 Days Later'', it stars Robert Carlyle, ...

'' (2007) Stockers Farm * ''

Endeavour (TV series) ''Endeavour'' is a British television detective drama series. It is a prequel to the long-running ''Inspector Morse'' series. Shaun Evans portrays the young Endeavour Morse beginning his career as a detective constable, and later as a detective ...

2019 Stockers Farm

Notable people

(Manor of the More, 1522–1530CastleFacts
. Castlefacts.info. Retrieved on 16 August 2013. * Robert Carey, 1st Earl of Monmouth (Moor Park, 1631–1639, buried at Rickmansworth Parish Church) *

Francis Russell, 2nd Earl of Bedford Francis Russell, 2nd Earl of Bedford, KG ( – 28 July 1585) of Chenies in Buckinghamshire and of Bedford House in Exeter, Devon, was an English nobleman, soldier, and politician. He was a godfather to the Devon-born sailor Sir Francis Drake ...

(Moor Park, 1576) * Edward Russell, 3rd Earl of Bedford (Moor Park, 1585–1627) *

William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke (8 April 158010 April 1630) , of Wilton House in Wiltshire, was an English nobleman, politician and courtier. He served as Chancellor of the University of Oxford and together with King James I founded Pem ...

(Moor Park, 1627) * Franklin baronets (bought Moor Park and Manor of Rickmansworth, 1655) * Henry Carey, 2nd Earl of Monmouth (buried at Rickmansworth Parish Church) *

James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde Lieutenant-General James FitzThomas Butler, 1st Duke of Ormond, KG, PC (19 October 1610 – 21 July 1688), was a statesman and soldier, known as Earl of Ormond from 1634 to 1642 and Marquess of Ormond from 1642 to 1661. Following the failur ...

(Moor Park, 1664) * Thomas Butler, 6th Earl of Ossory (made Lord Butler of Moore Park in 1666) *

William E. Fairbairn Lieutenant-Colonel William Ewart Fairbairn (; 28 February 1885 – 20 June 1960) was a British Royal Marine and police officer. He developed hand-to-hand combat methods for the Shanghai Police during the interwar period, as well as for the all ...

(Developed hand-to-hand combat methods) *

James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, 1st Duke of Buccleuch, KG, PC (9 April 1649 – 15 July 1685) was a Dutch-born English nobleman and military officer. Originally called James Crofts or James Fitzroy, he was born in Rotterdam in the Netherlan ...

(illegitimate son of Charles II, Moor Park, 1670 – executed 1685)) * George Anson, 1st Baron Anson (Admiral Lord Anson, Moor Park c1752) * Sir Lawrence Dundas, 1st Baronet (Moor Park, 1763) * William Penn (founder of Pennsylvania) * Thomas Dundas, 1st Baron Dundas (Moor Park, sold 1785) * Robert Grosvenor, 1st Marquess of Westminster (Moor Park, 1828–1845) * Robert Grosvenor, 1st Baron Ebury (Moor Park, 1846 and The Bury, 1879 to 1893) *

Robert Grosvenor, 2nd Baron Ebury Robert Wellesley Grosvenor, 2nd Baron Ebury (25 January 1834 – 13 November 1918) was a British politician. Early life He was the eldest of five sons and two daughters born to the former Hon. Charlotte Arbuthnot Wellesley and Robert Grosvenor, ...

(Moor Park, 1893–1918)* Harvey Fellows (Cricketer) *

Guy Calthrop Sir Calthrop Guy Spencer Calthrop, 1st Baronet (26 March 1870 – 23 February 1919) was a British railway manager. Biography Born in Uppingham, Rutland, his brother was Everard Calthrop, railway engineer. He entered the London and North Wester ...

aka Sir Calthrop Guy Spencer Calthrop, 1st Baronet (26 March 1870 – 23 February 1919) * David Urquhart (MP, Russophile and advocate for Turkish Baths) * George Eliot (pen-name of Mary Anne Evans – The Elms, 1875) * Val Doonican (resided in The Drive, Rickmansworth) *

Sam Little (golfer) Sam Little (born 31 August 1975) is an English professional golfer and sports agent. He won five times on the Challenge Tour. Early and personal life Little was born in London, England, and is Jewish and has been a member of Hendon Reform Synag ...

George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950), better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to totalitar ...

(pen-name of Eric Blair, author, who spent some summers in Rickmansworth) * Thomas Andrews, (the naval architect in charge of the plans for the ocean liner Titanic, drowned on her maiden voyage). *

Barbara Woodhouse Barbara Kathleen Vera Woodhouse (née Blackburn; May 9, 1910 – 9 July 9, 1988) was an Irish-born British dog trainer, author, horse trainer and television personality. Her 1980 television series '' Training Dogs the Woodhouse Way'' made her a h ...

(dog trainer, author, horse trainer and television personality) * William Stanier (locomotive designer and Chief Mechanical Engineer of the

London, Midland and Scottish Railway The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMSIt has been argued that the initials LMSR should be used to be consistent with LNER, GWR and SR. The London, Midland and Scottish Railway's corporate image used LMS, and this is what is generally u ...

References

Sources

Population figures (PDF)
*

External links

Past Times:This is Rickmansworth 2005

Three Rivers Museum, Rickmansworth

Rickmansworth Historical Society

Watford Observer Historical Tour of Rickmansworth

Pictures of Rickmansworth

{{Authority control Towns in Hertfordshire Former civil parishes in Hertfordshire Three Rivers District