Berkhamsted

Berkhamsted (pronounced BERK-em-sted) is an historic market town of 18,500 people (2016) in Hertfordshire in England, UK. It is about 30 miles north of London.

St. Peter's Church, Berkhamsted High Street

Understand

The High Street is on a pre-Roman route known by its Saxon name, Akeman Street. The earliest written reference to Berkhamsted was in 970. The settlement was recorded as an ancient borough in the Domesday Book in 1086. The most notable event in the town's history occurred in December 1066. After William the Conqueror defeated King Harold's Anglo-Saxon army at the Battle of Hastings, the Anglo-Saxon leadership surrendered to the Norman encampment at Berkhamsted. The event was recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. From 1066 to 1495, Berkhamsted Castle was a favoured residence of royalty and notable historical figures, including Henry II, Edward, the Black Prince, Thomas Becket and Geoffrey Chaucer. In the 13th and 14th centuries, the town was a wool trading town, with a thriving local market. The oldest known extant jettied timber-framed building in Great Britain, built between 1277 and 1297, survives as a shop on the town's high street.

After the castle was abandoned in 1495, the town went into decline, losing its borough status in the second half of the 17th century. Modern Berkhamsted began to expand after the canal and the railway were built in the 19th century. In the 21st century, Berkhamsted has evolved into an affluent commuter town.

Get in

By car

Berkhamsted is bypassed by the between London and Aylesbury.

From London, Watford, Aylesbury and Bicester follow and exit at Berkhamsted. From the exit at junction 20 and follow signs for Aylesbury.

From Hemel Hempstead and Tring, follow into the town centre.

From Amersham and Chesham, follow into the town centre.

By rail

London Northwestern Railway trains call at Berkhamsted. From London Euston, Watford Junction and Hemel Hempstead, there are usually four direct trains per hour during the daytimes. There are also direct trains from Tring, Bletchley and Milton Keynes.

From the Midlands and North West England, you can travel by train to Milton Keynes Central and change for services to Berkhamsted.

By bus

You can plan your bus journey in Hertfordshire using Intalink.

Bus routes include:

• Red Rose 354 - from Chesham and Northchurch
• Red Rose 501 - from Aylesbury, Tring, Watford and Hemel Hempstead (Sundays only)
• Arriva X5 - from Aylesbury, Tring and Hemel Hempstead

By cycle

Berkhamsted is on the 170-mile Chilterns Cycleway, which is signposted through the town. The route is reasonably hilly. It mostly follows minor roads with a few sections on cycle lanes and bridleways.

You can follow the route direct from Reading, Henley-on-Thames, Amersham and Harpenden.

By narrowboat

The Grand Union Canal passes through the Port of Berkhamsted and Castle Wharf, which was once a centre for the canal trade and boat building. There are several locks near Berkhamsted:

• Lock 46 - Cowroast Lock
• Lock 47 - Dudswell Lock
• Lock 48 - Dudswell Lock
• Lock 49 - Northchurch Lock
• Lock 50 - Bushes Lock
• Lock 51 - Gas 1 Lock
• Lock 52 - Gas 2 Lock
• Lock 53
• Lock 54
• Lock 55 - Rising Sun
• Lock 56
• Lock 57

There is a mooring in Berkhamsted and nearby at Cow Roast. Check the Canal and River Trust website for more.

You can follow the Grand Union Canal from Paddington, Rickmansworth and Hemel Hempstead to the south, and Leicester, Birmingham, Leamington Spa, Milton Keynes, Leighton Buzzard and Tring to the north.

Get around

Berkhamsted has a reasonably small town centre which is very flat. The walk from Berkhamsted railway station to most town centre destinations is less than 15 minutes.

See

Berkhamsted Castle

The Rex Cinema

• 1 Berkhamsted Castle (next to the railway station). open daily, shuts at dusk. The stone motte-and-bailey ruins seen today date from around 1155, although the castle was established as a stronghold by William the Conqueror in 1066. The castle has been home to Thomas Becket, Edward, the Black Prince and Geoffrey Chaucer. The castle today is managed by English Heritage. entry is free.  
• 2 The Grand Junction Canal. (1805) offers pleasant walks along the tow-path with canal-side pubs, wildfowl and many interesting barges, many of which are boat houses. Orientation plaques along the canal tow-path provide historical information and describe points of interest along the way.  
• 3 St Peter's Great Berkhamsted (on the high street in the town centre). open daily. The 13th-century parish church. The interior, which has undergone restoration in the 19th century, contains many historical features and decorations such as tombs and memorials spanning 700 years, some 14th-century stained glass, and a number of 16-century brass memorials.  
• 4 Rex Cinema (at the southern end of the High Street). Matinee & evening screenings. a fine Art Deco picture house. It was designed by the architect David Evelyn Nye and opened in 1938, and features a luxurious, decorated interior. It has been restored and re-opened and offers a wide programme of movie shows. The entrance is at the side of the building, the former foyer and dining room having been converted into a bar and restaurant.  

North of Berkhamstead

• 5 WW1 Trenches. dug by the Inns of Court Officers Training Corps 1914-1918 free. (updated Dec 2022)
• 6 Bridgewater Monument, Café & Visitor Centre, near Ringshall, Ashridge Estate. Neoclassical stone monument built in 1832 in memory of the third Duke of Bridgewater who built the Bridgewater Canal and once lived in Ashridge House. Climb 172 steps to the top for stunning views across the landscape. The popular outdoor café offers an excellent range of breakfasts, lunches and home-baked cakes. Dogs & cycles welcome, extensive free parking. National Trust shop sells an excellent range of gifts, books, maps and local produce. Opening hours vary seasonally. £2.50 (£1.00 child, NT members free). (updated Jun 2016)
• 7 Ashridge House, Ashridge, HP4 1NS (from Berkhamsted High Street, turn up Ravens Lane and continue up the hill until a 3-way fork in the road; take the left fork and drive 10 minutes through dense woodland), ☏ +44 1442 843491. Specific days only. A fine example of early Victorian Gothic Revival by the architect James Wyattville. The stately home is now in use as a management college and is not normally open to the public except on special days, listed on their website. (updated Jun 2016)
• 8 Pitstone Windmill, Ivinghoe, Leighton Buzzard LU7 9ER. Only open bank holidays in summer. A restored, fully-working 17th-century windmill owned by the National Trust. Limited opening days, but offers beautiful landmark on a rural public footpath £2.50; £1.00 children; NT members free. (updated Jun 2016)

Do

Berkhamsted Town Council offer information about historical walks around the town and a guide leaflet can be downloaded from the Council website. The Berkhamsted Local History and Museum Society have a regular programme of visits to places of historical significance in and around the town.

Many properties in Berkhamsted participate in the annual Heritage Open Days in mid-September, operated by English Heritage, which allow visitors to enter historical buildings not normally open to the public.

Berkhamsted has an active arts scene and there are many musical concerts and theatrical performances around the town. Posters and leaflets are displayed on the noticeboard on the High Street and in the parish church. The Berkhamsted Trust also provides a regular Arts Diary for up-to-date listings.

The Chilterns Cycleway is a circular cycle route which runs through parts of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. It passes through Berkhamsted along the Grand Junction canal and is popular for cycle touring. An official map and guide book can be ordered from the Chiltern Society.

• Graham Greene International Festival, Held at various locations around the town. annual event. The writer Graham Greene, author of books such as Brighton Rock and The Third Man, was born in Berkhamsted in 1904. The Graham Greene Birthplace Trust organises a four-day Graham Greene International Festival in Berkhamsted every year. It consists of a series of lectures, films, discussions and social events centred on the life and works of the author. (updated Jun 2016)

There are a number of country walks outside Berkhamsted. Maps of local walks can be ordered from the Chiltern Society (map #17 - Chesham and Berkhamsted), and Berkhamsted is crossed by the Chilterns Cycleway. Of particular interest is the extensive Ashridge Estate woodland, a National trust property (free entry).

Buy

Berkhamsted High Street

Shopping in Berkhamsted is predominantly ladies' fashions, although there are a couple of small gift shops and popular antique shops. Other than these, the High Street is mostly given over to nail bars, hairdressers, beauty salons and estate agents. A market is held every Wednesday and Saturday on the High Street which offers local food produce.

• 1 Heritage Antiques, 24 Castle St, Berkhamsted HP4 2DW. Daily 9AM-5PM. A large range of reasonably priced antiques, bric-a-brac and garden statues in a rambling set of intriguing rooms and outhouses (updated Jun 2016)
• 2 Home & Colonial Antiques, 134 High St, Berkhamsted HP4 3AT, ☏ +44 1442 877007. Daily 9:30AM-5PM. A large, popular antiques centre on four floors with a large range of furniture, vintage clothing, homewares and home decorations. Higher prices ranges in general; specialises in antique clocks and designer furnishings. Café on top floor, antiquarian books in basement. (updated Jun 2016)
• 3 Lovelo Cycle Works, Unit 7 Dwight's Yard, 167 High Street, Berkhamsted HP4 3HB (in a yard behind the High Street, enter via the passageway next to Bill's restaurant), ☏ +44 1442 873000, info@lovelocycleworks.co.uk. Independent cycle shop, sells a large range of cycling accessories & clothing and offers a bike repair service. (updated Jun 2016)
• 4 Number Twenty, 20 Lower Kings Rd, Berkhamsted HP4 2AB. M-F 9AM-5PM, Su 11AM-4PM. Attractive boutique gift shop selling greetings cards, candles, ornaments and designer homewares (updated Jun 2016)
• 5 Oxfam Books & Music, 232 High St, Berkhamsted HP4 1AG, ☏ +44 1442 874279. Extensive range of antiquarian books, old maps and vinyl records, good for local history books, and classical & vintage rock records. (updated Jun 2016)
• 6 Waterstones, 168 High Street, Berkhamsted. Book shop holding a range of local guides & maps as well as fiction and non-fiction titles. (updated Jun 2016)
• 7 Frithsden Vineyard, Frithsden, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire HP1 3DD (from Berkhamsted High St, turn up Ravens Lane and continue straight up the hill on Nettleden Road; watch out for the sign to Frithsden on a bend in the road; turn left and then turn right after the pub up a small lane), ☏ +44 1442 878723. W-Su 11AM-5PM. An independent English vineyard and winery. Three artisan wine varieties are grown, pressed and bottled on-site and sold in the small vineyard shop, which also sells gifts & local food produce. Opening hours can vary, but owners are happy to open up the shop if you phone ahead. Special tasting and food events are held throughout the year. (updated Jun 2016)

Eat

• 1 Martins Pond, The Green, Potten End, HP4 2QQ, ☏ +44 1442 864318. Daily noon-2:30PM then 6-9PM. Family-run freehouse serving fresh pub food. 
• 2 The Old Mill (Margos at the old mill), London Road, HP4 2NB (south-east end of town beyond the Rex on the road to Hemel), ☏ +44 1442 879590, margosoldmill@gmail.com. Former Victorian mill building refurbished and converted into comfortable bar-restaurant. Pub menu specialising in Maltese cuisine. Pub has several real ales from green king brewery as well as a selection of draught lagers, IPAs and stouts. (updated Jul 2022)
• 3 The Highwayman, 262 High Street, HP4 1AQ (approaching from the railway station, turn right along the High Street), ☏ +44 1442 285480. Daily 8:30AM-11PM. Popular bar & restaurant serving British pub food & French dishes £40/ppn. 
• 4 Thai Cottage, 149 High Street, HP4 3HH (on the main High Street opposite Tesco), ☏ +44 1442 870808. Authentic and varied Thai menu, hugely popular with locals 
• 5 Kings Arms, 147 High Street, HP4 3HL, ☏ +44 1442 866595. Daily 9AM-midnight (1AM at weekends). Refurbished local pub with modern gastro-pub menu in historic 18th-century building. Real Ales, fine wines, wood-fired pizzas. Large log fire in bar area. £40/ppn.  
• 6 The Alford Arms, Frithsden, Hertfordshire HP1 3DD (from Berkhamsted High St, turn up Ravens Lane and continue straight up the hill on Nettleden Road; watch out for the sign to Frithsden on a bend in the road; turn left up the lane, pub car park immediately on right), ☏ +44 1442 86 44 80. M-Sa 11AM-11PM, Su noon-10:30PM. Popular restaurant & gastro-pub hidden up a country lane. Serves real ales & fine wines, lunch & dinner sittings offer British & European cuisine. Booking essential. (updated May 2020)

Drink

One of Berkhamsted's canalside pubs, The Rising Sun

• 1 The Rising Sun, No1, Canalside, George Street, HP4 2EG (30 seconds walk east along the canal towpath from the Ravens Lane bridge), ☏ +44 1442 864913. M-W noon-11PM; Th 3PM-midnight, F Sa noon-midnight, Su noon-11PM. Quiet canalside pub specialising in large selection of traditional real ales, traditional ciders, malt whiskies, port, Belgian beers etc. Beer garden and seating by canal lock. Friendly and knowledgeable staff. 
• 2 The Crystal Palace, Station Rd, HP4 2EZ, ☏ +44 1442 862998. A canalside pub. (updated Dec 2022)
• 3 The Gatsby, 97 High Street, HP4 2DG (South end of the high street under the Rex Cinema), ☏ +44 1442 870403. M-Th 10:30AM-11PM, F Sa 10:30AM-12:30PM, Su noon-10:30PM. Stylish cocktail bar and restaurant in the former dining rooms of the Rex Cinema. Diners sit in opulent 1938 art deco interiors. 
• 4 The George Inn, 261 High St, HP4 1AB, ☏ +44 1442 874159. noon-midnight. (updated Dec 2022)
• 5 The Goat, 83 High St, Berkhamsted HP4 2DF, ☏ +44 1442 877089. M-Th 3-11PM, F Sa 3PM-midnight, Su noon-8PM. Sports and live music (updated Oct 2023)

Sleep

• 1 Kings Arms Hotel, 147 High Street, HP4 3HL, ☏ +44 1442 866595. Daily 9AM-midnight (1AM at weekends). Refurbished local pub in historic 18th-century building. Real ales, fine wines. Large log fire in bar area. Also extensive restaurant. £40/ppn. 
• 2 The Pennyfarthing Hotel, 296-298 High St, ☏ +44 1442 872828. (updated Apr 2016)
• 3 Town Farm Campsite, Town Farm, Ivinghoe, Leighton Buzzard LU7 9EL (on the B489 road near Ivinghoe, on the far side of the Ashridges Estate), ☏ +44 7906 265435 (mobile). Rural camping on a working, family-run farm at the foot of the Chiltern Hills with stunning views over the Vale of Aylesbury and Ivinghoe Beacon. In summer, visitors can pick their own fruit and vegetables. tent £10 per person per night; caravans £20 per night. (updated Jun 2016)
• 4 Norcott Campsite (Camping In The Orchard), Dudswell lane, Berkhamsted HP4 1LE (drive along High Street towards Tring; about 600 metres after Northchurch, bear right onto Dudswell Lane, cross the canal and the camping is 2nd on the left), ☏ +44 7788 151022 (mobile). A small campsite set in an orchard, close to the Grand Junction Canal and a 20-minute walk from Berkhamsted. £5 per person per night. (updated Jun 2016)
• Chiltern Canal Boat Holidays, ☏ +44 1296 486216, contact@chilterncanalboatholidays.com. Luxury narrowboat hire on the south Grand Union canal. (updated Jul 2022)

Connect

Berkhamsted and its approach roads have 4G from all UK carriers. As of July 2022, 5G has not reached town but is getting close. Wifi is widely available in public places.

The library on King's Road offers computer internet access.

Go next

• Tring 6 mi (9.7 km) west via A4251, noted for the Natural History Museum
• Bletchley, noted for the National Computing Museum and Bletchley Park Museum
• Chesham 5 mi (8.0 km) south via A416
• Hemel Hempstead
• Dunstable 11 mi (18 km) north via A4506

Routes through Berkhamsted

Aylesbury ← Tring ←

NW  SE

→ Hemel Hempstead → Watford