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Therfield Heath
Therfield Heath covers an area of 420 acres. Although it once belonged to the Church of England, the Heath is now owned by the Therfield Regulation Trust, and is managed on behalf of the Trust by the Conservators of Therfield Heath and Greens, a locally elected body established by Act of Parliament in 1888.
The Heath’s status as common land has protected it from urban and agricultural development, thus preserving an important historic site and a valuable wildlife haven. It now provides a fascinating area for study, and is one of the best sites for informal recreation in Hertfordshire.
Although Royston is the closest settlement, most of the Heath lies in the parish of the much older village of Therfield. The name Therfield comes from the Old English words for dry place, reflecting the freely draining nature of the underlying chalk.
The Heath was once much more extensive than it is today, stretching as far as Therfield, Kelshall and Odsey. Most of the original area was cultivated following the Enclosure Act of 1849 but other small fragments, such as Rush Green near Therfield, still retain their status as common land.
The calk rock beneath the Heath was laid down around one hundred million years ago when this area lay beneath a warm sea. The remains of tiny animals fell to the sea bed and were compressed over millions of years to form a band of chalk up to 90 metres thick. Twenty million years ago the same earth movements which formed the Alps caused the calk to dip towards the south east. Over the last million years successive ice ages formed the dry valleys. The last ice sheet retreated from here about twelve thousand years ago, only a few thousand years before the first humans settled.
Fairs on the Heath
There has been a long history of Therfield Heath being used for fairs and it continues to have a fun fair visit each year. However, the fair was not always so welcome: on Good Friday in 1894 travelling showmen came and parked on the heath. However, in the previous year new regulations had been introduced to allow the Conservators to raise money for the proper care and protection of the heath and accordingly they asked for payment. However, when the bailiff went to visit the showmen, he was sent on his way with a flea in his ear. What ensued from that point was a grand battle between the local police who attempted to evict the showmen, and who were subsequently the victims of assault, with even the wives of the showmen joining the affray by lying down in front of the vans. Unfortunately for the police and the Conservators after the showmen were finally hauled before the local justices of the peace, they found that the Conservators could not charge and therefore it had been acceptable for one of the showmen to swing an axe at the police! The Conservators decided to appeal the decision at the Queens Bench, and unsurprisingly were successful in their appeal, being awarded the princely sum of £21. 17s. 10p. To this day, the fair still provides important revenue for the upkeep of the heath.
The Heath’s status as common land has protected it from urban and agricultural development, thus preserving an important historic site and a valuable wildlife haven. It now provides a fascinating area for study, and is one of the best sites for informal recreation in Hertfordshire.
Although Royston is the closest settlement, most of the Heath lies in the parish of the much older village of Therfield. The name Therfield comes from the Old English words for dry place, reflecting the freely draining nature of the underlying chalk.
The Heath was once much more extensive than it is today, stretching as far as Therfield, Kelshall and Odsey. Most of the original area was cultivated following the Enclosure Act of 1849 but other small fragments, such as Rush Green near Therfield, still retain their status as common land.
The calk rock beneath the Heath was laid down around one hundred million years ago when this area lay beneath a warm sea. The remains of tiny animals fell to the sea bed and were compressed over millions of years to form a band of chalk up to 90 metres thick. Twenty million years ago the same earth movements which formed the Alps caused the calk to dip towards the south east. Over the last million years successive ice ages formed the dry valleys. The last ice sheet retreated from here about twelve thousand years ago, only a few thousand years before the first humans settled.
Fairs on the Heath
There has been a long history of Therfield Heath being used for fairs and it continues to have a fun fair visit each year. However, the fair was not always so welcome: on Good Friday in 1894 travelling showmen came and parked on the heath. However, in the previous year new regulations had been introduced to allow the Conservators to raise money for the proper care and protection of the heath and accordingly they asked for payment. However, when the bailiff went to visit the showmen, he was sent on his way with a flea in his ear. What ensued from that point was a grand battle between the local police who attempted to evict the showmen, and who were subsequently the victims of assault, with even the wives of the showmen joining the affray by lying down in front of the vans. Unfortunately for the police and the Conservators after the showmen were finally hauled before the local justices of the peace, they found that the Conservators could not charge and therefore it had been acceptable for one of the showmen to swing an axe at the police! The Conservators decided to appeal the decision at the Queens Bench, and unsurprisingly were successful in their appeal, being awarded the princely sum of £21. 17s. 10p. To this day, the fair still provides important revenue for the upkeep of the heath.