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Hitchin

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Hitchin
Population30,360 
OS grid referenceTL181292
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townHitchin
Postcode districtSG4, SG5
Dialling code01462
PoliceHertfordshire
FireHertfordshire
AmbulanceEast of England
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Hertfordshire

Hitchin is a town in Hertfordshire, England, and has an estimated population of 30,360.

History

Hitchin is first noted as the central place of the Hicce people mentioned in a seventh-century document, the Tribal Hidage. The tribal name is Brittonic rather than Old English and derives from *siccā, meaning 'dry', perhaps a reference to the local stream, the Hiz. By 1086 Hitchin is described as a Royal manor in the Domesday Book. Evidence has been found to suggest that the town was once provided with an earhten bank and ditch fortification, probably in the tench century, but this did not last. The modern spelling 'Hitchin' first appears in 1618 in a document called the 'Hertfordshire Feet of Fines'.

The name of the town also is associated with the small river that runs through the town, most picturesquely in front of the east end of St. Mary's Church, the town's parish church. The river is noted on maps as the River Hiz. Contrary to how most people now pronounce the name, that is to say phonetically, the 'z' was an abbreviated character for a 'tch' sound, as in the name of the town. It would have been pronounced 'River Hitch'. (A similar example is the 'y' which was, or is, an abbreviation for a 'th' in phrases and names such as Ye Olde King's Head).

During the laying of a new floor in the church in 1911, foundations of a more ancient church building were found. In form, they appear to be a basilican church of a seventh-century type, with a later enlarged chancel and transepts, perhaps added in the tenth century. This makes the church older than the story (not recorded before the fifteenth century) that the church was founded by Offa, king of Mercia 757-796.

In 1697, Hitchin (and the nearby village of Offley) were subject to what is thought to have been the most severe hailstorm in recorded UK history. Hailstones over 4 inches in diameter were reported.

The town flourished on the wool trade, and located near the Icknield Way and by the seventeenth century Hitchin was a staging post for coaches coming from London. By the middle of the 19th century the railway had arrived, and with it a new way of life for Hitchin. The Corn Exchange was built in the Market Place and within a short time Hitchin established itself as a major centre for grain trading.

The latter half of the twentieth century has also brought great changes in communication to Hitchin. Motorways have shortened the journey time and brought Luton, a few miles away on the M1, and the A1 (M) even closer. By the close of the twentieth century, Hitchin had become a satellite dormitory town for London. Hitchin also developed a fairly strong Sikh community based around the Walsworth area.

Hitchin is notable for St. Mary’s Church which is remarkably large for town of its size. The size of the church is evidence of how Hitchin prospered from the wool trade. It is the largest parish church in Hertfordshire. Most of the church dates from the fifteenth century, with its tower dating from around 1190. The original church is reputed to have been founded by King Offa of the Saxon kingdom of Mercia in 792.

During the medieval period, both a priory (Newbigging, now known as The Biggin) and a friary (now known as Hitchin Priory) were established, both of which closed during Henry VIII's dissolution. They were never reformed, although The Biggin was for many years used as almshouses.

Hitchin is also the venue for the annual Rhythms of the World[1] festival, which is the largest free festival of world music in Europe.

Hitchin is home to the world’s only known complete Lancasterian Schoolroom which was built in 1837 to teach boys by the Lancasterian method.

It is locally reputed that Henry VIII nearly died in a fire in Hitchin. It is also alleged that Henry VIII, when he was fitter, thought he was able to pole vault over the local river, the River Hiz. However, he had grown somewhat fatter than he knew, and the pole snapped from underneath him. He fell into the river, much to the amusement of his servants. This event is commemorated on the sign of the Bucks Head [1] pub in nearby Little Wymondly. However, it is known that Henry VIII did hunt in the area around Hitchin.

Sport in Hitchin

Hitchin Town F.C. were established in 1865 and later reformed in 1928. It is one of only three clubs who competed in the first ever FA Cup and still do so now.

In 1960 Hitchin Council was the first in Britain to introduce 'black bags' for refuse collection.

Hitchin is also home to Blueharts Hockey Club [2], a leading club since 1946.

It also houses Hitchin Cricket Club, which has been an important cricket club within the area since 1864.

Hitchin has a local swimming club, Hitchin Swimming Club [3], which competes at local level. The club is a good club however fails to meet the standards of putterige swimming club,luton and most other swimming pools.The club meets at Hitchin Swim Centre on Fishponds Road, Hitchin.

Hitchin also has its own Air Training Corps squadron, 1066 (Hitchin) Squadron. [4] Every year the squadron takes part in a competition with 30 other squadrons around the wing, and for the last two years (in 2006 and 2007) the squadron has come first in the overall competition. Hitchin Squadron is also one of the only squadrons in the wing with a fully functional marching band.

Hitchin railway station is on the Great Northern Line.

People born in Hitchin

Famous connections

A famous connection to Hitchin is the American actor/comedian Bob Hope who died in 2003. Bob Hope was originally born in Eltham, South-east London in 1902 and emigrated to the USA in 1907 at the age of four. However, he maintained strong links with his family back in England and still has family in the Hitchin area. Indeed, Bob Hope "claimed to have inherited his sense of humour from his paternal grandfather from Hitchin"[5]

The funeral of the conductor and founder of the Promenade Concerts, Henry Wood, took place in Hitchin at St. Mary's Church. He had been taken to Hitchin Hospital on 16 August 1944 and died there three days later.

Hitchin was at one time home to Sir Frank Whittle. It was also a home of Joseph Lister, and his old school is now the Lord Lister Hotel.

See also

Schools

Youth Organisations

These include:

Twinning

Hitchin is twinned with:

Districts of Hitchin

Nearby villages

References

  1. ^ Rhythms of the World
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hitchin.
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