Hitchin local history walk
On Wednesday 10th July, Chestnut and Cherry classes went on a historical walk around a part of Hitchin. Here is some of what we learnt.
Market place -The market place has undergone a lot of change through the years, but did you know its most successful use was lodging market sellers and buyers in inns? Yes, there were six inns dotted around the market place and one of them (The Rose and Crown) is still visible as a pub today – did you know it used to be where Hitchin kept its fire engine?
Bucklesbury – Bucklesbury has a lot of interesting history. Did you know that the Kite at the Red Hart was Henry VIII’S favourite pub?
Brand Street – Brand Street has the town hall and town museum. The town hall was refurbished in 1900 and the mechanical institute library has been there for a very long time.
High Street – Barclays bank used to be Sharples Exton and Lucas Bank. There were lots of Quakers living in Hitchin. This was a very interesting street to learn about.
William Ransom – We saw the plaque where William Ransom’s pharmaceutical company used to be. He was a famous Hitchin philanthropist and our school is named after him.
Queen Street – This used to be called Dead Street because the slums were there and lots of people died of the plague. The Biggin is near Queen Street – this used to be a home for elderly ladies.
Overall, this was a great trip which was extremely informative. It was very interesting to learn about our town and its history.
By Anusha