This Hertfordshire Market Town Has a Secret Nobody Notices #walking #history

In 2013, Hemel Hempstead was voted Britain's ugliest town. There's a church here with one of the tallest spires in Europe — and most people drive straight past it. Hemel Hempstead is a post-war new town — a planned settlement built in the 1950s with ring roads and a magic roundabout and all the things a new town needs. But behind it, largely unchanged, is an Old Town that has existed since at least the Roman period, was granted its first market charter by Henry VIII in 1539, and has been quietly getting on with things ever since.We begin at the Old Town High Street — one of the prettiest streets in Hertfordshire, though you'd never know it from the town's reputation. Victorian and Georgian shop frontages, independent shops, coffee houses and historic pubs, and at the centre of it, the Old Town Hall, which was built in 1851 and still serves the community today. Then it's through the churchyard of St Mary's. St Mary's was begun by the Normans in 1140. The nave and chancel were completed by 1150. The spire — a magnificent fluted lead-clad timber structure — was added in the early 14th century. It is 130 feet high and rises to a total height of 200 feet to the gilded weathervane at its peak. That places it among the tallest church spires in Europe. Historical accounts describe it as "a very fair and tall spire covered with lead, which is a great ornament to the town." Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn are recorded as having visited and most people in Hemel Hempstead have walked past it without looking up. From the churchyard, we head into Gadebridge Park and the Charter Walled Garden — built on the site of Bury House, which was rebuilt between 1540 and 1595 by the Combes family. The Charter Tower, which gives the garden its name, was originally the gatehouse into the second Bury House. It still stands.A walk through the town that everyone thought they already knew. 🗺️ Route 00:00 Old Town High Street 03:10 The Old Town Hall 04:46 The Market Place 05:32 Antiques shop and independent shops 07:16 Colourful cottages 08:38 Old plough and water pump 10:02 St Mary's Churchyard — 12th Century 11:30 Gadebridge Park 13:35 The Charter Walled Garden 🎙️ Still Walking brings you calm, narrated walks through towns and everyday places — at an unhurried pace, noticing small details and the character of each place as it unfolds. 🔔 Subscribe for more quiet walks: This video is a relaxed, narrated walk through a town, exploring streets, shops, and everyday places on foot. The walk is unhurried, with gentle commentary and natural pacing, designed for easy watching and listening. Perfect for armchair exploring, relaxed viewing, or simply enjoying a calm walk along the way. Subscribe for more town walks with us!