River Gade - Hunton Bridge

River Gade
The Gade flows southwards

Post to the north Abbots Langley
Post to the south Hunton Bridge Interchange
Post to the west Langleybury


Bridge Road
The Old School House.  This old school is now offices. It was built in 1858 as a National School with funds provided by W.J. Loyd of Langleybury House and converted in 1974.  It is in knapped flint in Gothic Revival Style.  On the roof is a triangular bellcote, with a spire and, weathervane. It was replaced by a modern school which is now St Paul's Church of England Primary School
School Master’s House – this is at the back of the school building
Housing on the site of the Carlsberg Tetley Depot from the late 18th century a malt house stood alongside the Gade. It became part of Benskins Brewery and was used as a depot by them. Benskins became Ind Coope, then Allied Breweries, and then Carlsberg-Tetley, and Carlsberg UK who continued to operate the site as a depot. It has since been sold and developed for housing.
Maltsters Arms. This pub was associated with the malting and was in an 18th house known as The Limes. The pub closed in 1963 and the house continued to be used as part of the Carlsberg depot. Because of its deterioration it was rebuilt in its original location as part of the housing development. .
Bridge Road Waterworks. George Turnbull of Rosehill initiated and was Chairman of the Hunton Bridge and Abbot’s Langley Water-works Company. It was taken over by the Rickmansworth and Uxbridge Valley Water in 1901 and in 1934 a Paxman oil engine installed. It is now a pumping station from a number of chalk boreholes operated by Affinity.  It was operated by the Three Valleys Water Co which was set up in 1994 with the Rickmansworth & Uxbridge Company as a constituent part. It was later taken over by the French company. Veolia now Affinity
1 house remaining from Huntonbridge Wharf building. It is 18th and now pebble dashed
Huntonbridge wharf. A coal wharf was established about 100 years after the opening of the canal, and this had a tramway, a warehouse and managers dwelling. In 1910 this was let to Collis, Taylor, King & Co. by the Canal Company which owned it. When the wharf closed it became a factory premises and in the 1940s was used by Stanhope Box Manufacturers of Bow.
14 Baptist Chapel which in the 1930s was a free church. It is now a Stained Glass studio founded in the 1970s by ex-workers from Whitefriars Glass. They specialise in pictorial and decorative stained glass.
Hunton Bridge Gas Works this lay alongside the railway and had bee n initiated by George Turnbull of Rosehill before 1880. Taken over by Hemel Hempstead District Gas Co. in 1901
The Kings Head - this has also been known as the Waterside Tavern. It is a 300 year old now used as a restaurant and bar made up from several buildings. There are stables once used for canal horses, now a coffee bar.
20 St.Paul’s Hall.  This was previously located on the other side of the road next to the railway. It is now in private hands.
28 The Kings Lodge. This is said to have been built in 1642 as a hunting lodge for King Charles I and later known as Lawn House. There is there is early 17th plasterwork and the Stuart Royal Arms with 'C R' and '1642' on chimney a breast plus a flanking lion, unicorn and fleur-de-lys with vine scroll border. It is now a hotel and restaurant
Canal Bridge. The original structure was demolished in 1932 and replaced with a reinforced concrete skew arch bridge. Some of the existing structure was demolished in 1983 due a road accident
Gade Bridge. A bridge here is first recorded in 1433
K6 telephone box near junction with Old Mill Road Designed 1935 by Giles Gilbert Scott.

Essex Lane
South Way Playing Field. Used by the Evergreen Football Club.
Hunton Park. House built in 1909 by Hubbard and Moore for Rev. H.S. Gladstone in brown brick and in Queen Anne Style.  It replaced Hazelwood, built in 1810 which had been burnt down. Hazelwood was built by Henry Botham as a country residence and this included a large park. In 1850 it was owned by Sir Henry Robinson Montagu, the followed by others and then in the early 20th, Henry Stewart Gladstone. In 1930, the house was sold to Francis Edwin Fisher, and among the short-term occupants was Emperor Haile Selassie until it was bought by the owner of De Vere. There is now a conservatory and a gazebo in garden walls. It was previously known as Hazelwood House. It is now offices and an entertainment complex owned by De Veres and the landscaped gardens include a putting green, swimming pool, croquet lawn and trim trail.


Gipsy Lane
Before 1810 the turnpike had run along Gypsy Lane and Upper Highway. It was then re-routed. It is now blocked off at the south end just over the railway bridge
Railway Bridge
West Lodge. This was built as a gate lodge to Hazelwood and thought to date to the late 1860s. It was extended after 1960.

Grand Union Canal
Water powered pump. This is hidden in undergrowth beside the towpath and is the remains of a waterwheel which pumped water to nearby Langleybury. The wooden waterwheel has gone, leaving the axle and an iron pit wheel amidst the remains of the pump house which is a corrugated iron structure
Hunton Bridge road bridge
Hunton Bridge Top Lock
Hunton Bridge Bottom Lock
South West Herts Narrowboat Project Winding hole
Impounded water along the canal – these are used by local fishermen the northern one is Astra Pound and the lower one Ovaltine Pound.

Hunton Bridge Hill
Narrow bridge.This was part of the original railway infrastructure. The height restriction is 11' 6" so high vehicles have to pass in the centre of the bridge, thus there is a white arrow in the road. On the side is a pedestrian tunnel with a mural panting inside – this subway dates from 1966 when it was pushed through for safety reasons.

Langleybury Lane
St.Paul's Church of England. 1865 designed by H.Woodyer who also was responsible for the stone reredos, pulpit, screen and the font. It has a very ornamental chancel arch much embellished, along with the rest of the interior, with angels. There is a tall shingled wooden broach spire on top of the tower.
Loyd Memorial Cross.  This is to W.J. Loyd who paid for the church and who died in 1885. It was given by his son L.V. Loyd. It is in marble with an inscription and panels with figures of apostles.
Lych Gate. Built in 1863-5 by H. Woodyer. It is in timber with a tiled roof.
Churchyard. There are two Commonwealth war graves. Grave of Ruddy Faulkner a coach driver on the London to Brighton run, with a milestone on the grave

Old Mill Road
From 1810 the Sparrows Herne turnpike was rerouted from Gypsy Lane to this road and then went up the hill to connect with Upper Highway. In 1826 it was again rerouted along what became the A41 to avoid Hunton Bridge Hill.
1-3 office building which reproduces the building form of a farrier’s building and forge which stood there are one time.
The Dog and Partridge Pub
Hunton Bridge Mill. There was a mill on the River Gade from at least the late 18th, apparently milling corn. It may however have been a ‘Kings Mill’ in the 16th. In the late 19th it was owned by Littleboy and Proctor and had eight stones but declining power from the Gade.   There is a cut between it and the Grand Union Canal and which reaches as far as Old Mill Lane.
Old Mill House. A building called the Old Mill House is now residential accommodation on the mill site.
Brookside Cottages
Huntonbridge farm
South West Herts Narrowboat Project. Set up in 1987 to provide narrowboat use and training for young people

Upper Highway
This is the line of the old main road replaced by the A41
25 - 27 Endways. House divided into two. It is 17th with a timber frame with whitewashed and rendered brick infill
Queen Anne Cottage- Elizabeth Cottage. Two houses which were once three, these are 18th in red brick.
A highwayman was said to have been hanged opposite the Unicorn inn and, according to custom, was buried at the nearest crossroads; in this case where Upper Highway crossed Hunter Lane and Hunton Bridge Hill. In 1930 the coffin was found and reburied near the churchyard.

Watford Road
War Memorial is on a piece of ground adjacent to but outside the churchyard. It is granite cross surrounded by a metal link fence. The inscription for the Great War is on the front and the Second World War is on the side. Every year the Air Training Corps, Herts & Bucks Wing hold a service at the church and a parade to commemorate the Battle of Britain.

Sources
British Listed Buildings. Web site
Canalplan. Web site
Chelsea Speleological Society Newsletter 6
English Heritage Web site.
Grace’s Guide. Web site
Hunton Bridge. Wikipedia Web site
Kings Head, Web site
Kings Lodge. Web site
Mee, Hertfordshire
National Archives. Web site
Report of Royal Commission into Metropolitan Water Supply
Roads and Road Construction
Roll of Honour. Web site
Three Rivers Council. Web site

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