David Pearce, a parent of children at the school, recently gave a talk about the Friends of Bernards Heath and what they do. You can find out more about this by taking a look at this page.
Air Ambulance on the Heath
Bernards Heath provides a safe landing pad for the East Anglian Air Ambulance following an accident today involving a cyclist and a car in Lemsford Road.
Continue reading “Air Ambulance on the Heath”Access to Interpretation Boards
A quick strim of cow parsley has improved access to the interpretation board in Townsend Drive, which provides an excellent succinct history of the Heath. This board and the two others in Harpenden Road and Sandridge Road were installed by the Friends of Bernards Heath. The boards are now beginning to show signs of weathering and replacements are being considered.
Sinkhole Tours
Last October the country thrilled to the drama of the sinkhole on Bernards Heath – and the story is not finished yet.
Much was written and said in the media, but there is nothing like being on the spot to hear an explanation of the factors which came together to ‘make the earth move’.
Over the summer, Roger Miles, member of FoBH Committee, longtime resident of the Heath, amateur archaeologist and local historian, will be leading small group tours of the Heath on the theme of the sinkhole.
Geology, industrial archaeology, local history and even literature all figure in the story, but there will be nothing ‘difficult’ to understand.
If you would like to join one of the tour groups, which can be on a weekday, weekend or evening – state preference – let us know, plus how many you would be. You will be notified when a tour is planned.
Bernards Heath Guided Walk
The walk on the 8th May was very successful with 30 people joining on what was a sunny warm afternoon. Local historian Peter Burley led the walk, with an impressive depth of knowledge about the area.
Continue reading “Bernards Heath Guided Walk”A grand Spring Opening
‘Sticky buds’ coming into leaf, with flower buds.
Click on the left-hand image and move through the sequence using the arrow or right-arrow key
The horse chestnut, which might be thought native to the British Isles as it is so widespread,in fact hails from the Balkans and Greece and has been introduced here.
Oliver Rackham, the renowned authority on trees in the British landscape, referred to the horse chestnut as the ‘bus station tree’ as it seemed to be the species of choice for that location.
The horse chestnut (and a false acacia) in front of Chime Square above, along with some walls, are all that remain now of the St Albans bus garage which was on the site.
Herts survey for mammals, amphibians and reptiles 2015-2019
A four-year survey is under way to compile a new atlas of Hertfordshire’s mammals, amphibians and reptiles. Friends of Bernards Heath and other residents with an interest in wildlife can make a welcome contribution to the project by submitting their sightings.
Update: 21 May 2016.
David Uttig, who leads the survey on the Heath, reports that nothing of interest has been found under the mats yet. They are located at 51 45 43N 0 19 59W and 51 45 46N 0 20 9W. You can find out where these are by entering the co-ordinates into a Google maps search.
Update 4 June 2016
Two more mats have now been added in Beech Bottom Dyke at 51.46.6N 0.19.41W and 51.46.11N 0.19.35Wz
Ariston Site – Further Survey Works
Peter Bone, Senior Surveyor for Public Sector Services, writes ‘Please note that the County Council has arranged for some further survey works to be carried out to check the ground conditions at the Ariston Works site.
Continue reading “Ariston Site – Further Survey Works”Trial Litter Bin on the Heath
Bernards Heath Infants School children learn about the History of the Heath
Peter Burley, a local historian and member of the Friends of Bernards Heath Committee, gave an illustrated talk focusing on what happened and what you would have seen on the school site over the centuries.
Peter writes:
We start with Julius Caesar who would have marched his army past the school in 54BC on his way to attack Wheathamstead. Shakespeare’s King Cymberlaine was king round here before the Romans returned and he built Beech Bottom Dyke. We look at how the land reverted to wild wood after the Romans and was then cleared by burning the trees to make land for pasture and creating the heath. This gives the area and the school its name – “Bernards Heath”. The name means land cleared by burning and is the same derivation as “Barnet” or “Brent”. The first map of the area calls it “Barnet Heath”, and, rather alarmingly, shows the town gallows standing opposite the school.
We look at how the Manor of Sandridge – and hence the school site – passed from control by the Abbey to control by the Spencer family (whose name is commemorated in the school) – via the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough, who rescued the commons along Harpenden Road from being enclosed. The local economy was based on brick making into the 19th century and we look at where there are some surviving brick pits opposite the school. The pits that filled up with water and where kids from the school actually drowned have long since been filled in.
We finish the history with the area being built up and the school founded in the 1890s, but not before re-enacting the story of the most romantic character to have been associated with the area. A volunteer girl from the class is draped in a white cellular blanket to illustrate the story of the “Lady in White”. She was Frances Jennings, Countess Tyrconnel, who lived 1647-1730. She was born at Waterend House but then grew up in London, where, as a child, she ran away from home to sell oranges in Covent Garden. She and her two sisters inherited a bankrupted estate which included the Manor of Sandridge. Her older sister (Sarah) married the future Duke of Marlborough and restored the family’s fortunes. Frances married Richard Talbot, a Roman Catholic, who was created Earl Tyrconnel* by James II and then led the Irish in opposition to William III’s invasion in 1689. He died of a stroke before his brother-in-law could complete the conquest of Ireland and Frances fled into exile at the Court of Versailles. After being initially feted by Louis XIV, she fell on hard times as France went bankrupt and she was reduced to living as a beggar in Paris. There she used lace-making as a prop for her begging and sat on the pavement weaving lace while dressed head to foot in white lace so no one could see her face. She also became deranged. At a later date she returned to London under an amnesty for Catholic exiles and continued her lace-making and begging in Covent Garden. There she became a tourist attraction in her own right and was known as the (anonymous) “Lady in White”, but she never returned to Sandridge.
*as a footnote, he features in the nowadays little-sung words to the song “Lilly Bolero”, where he is portrayed as an ogre who eats Protestant babies.