Weston 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
North Hertfordshire district of
Hertfordshire, England.
It is located around 4 miles north of
Stevenage, 2.5 miles south of
Baldock
Baldock ( ) is a historic market town and unparished area in the local government district of North Hertfordshire in the county of Hertfordshire, England, where the River Ivel rises. It lies north of London, southeast of Bedford, and north n ...
and the same distance south-east of
Letchworth
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 ...
, although it lies in the
Hitchin post town
A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system.Royal Mail, ''Address Management Guide'', (2004) Including the correct post town in the address increases ...
. The
A1(M) motorway passes to the west and the
A505 Baldock bypass to the north, in a cut-and-cover
tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, and enclosed except for the entrance and exit, commonly at each end. A pipeline is not a tunnel, though some recent tunnels have used immersed tube cons ...
that passes through the Weston Hills. These hills were made famous by the
Robin Hood
Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is dep ...
-style character
Jack o'Legs, who was allegedly buried in the village's church graveyard.
Weston Road and the Village of Weston, both within
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 anch ...
, were named after this place.
The Legend Of Jack o'Legs
The
legend
A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived, both by teller and listeners, to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess ...
of
Jack o'Legs is connected to the village of Weston, and explained on a signpost in the village green. The legend is that a Jack o'Legs was an abnormally tall man who stole from shops in the nearby town of Baldock.
He took his lootings and hid them in a cave somewhere around Weston Hills. After he was captured and severely wounded by the shopkeepers of Baldock he shot an arrow from there 3 miles into the churchyard at Weston to show where he wished to be buried.
In the churchyard of
Holy Trinity Church, Weston, there is a grave for Jack o'Legs, which is unusually long, possibly placed there to fuel belief in the legend.
Windmill
A traditional
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 Weston, although it is in need of refurbishment.
See also
*
Weston
Weston may refer to:
Places Australia
* Weston, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra
* Weston, New South Wales
* Weston Creek, a residential district of Canberra
* Weston Park, Canberra, a park
Canada
* Weston, Nova Scotia
* ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
Gallery
File:Weston Primary School 2014.jpg, Weston (CofE) Primary School and Nursery
Image:Weston Cottages.jpg, A row of cottages at Weston
References
External links
Villages in Hertfordshire
Civil parishes in Hertfordshire
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