Hertford

Friday 18th/ Sat 19th 2023.

We are going to meet up with motorhome buddies Alison and Peter next Tuesday in Lincolnshire, so it was obvious we head south away from the destination. We have never visited Hertfordshire before so a new experience for us.

The journey down on the M6/M1 was a nightmare in heavy rain, not a pleasant experience at all, thankfully it stopped raining when we arrived at Hertford Camping and Caravanning Club. It’s a large site with 245 pitches but well spaced out as the site is divided into small areas by trees and hedges.

Heavy rain lashed down Friday evening and into Saturday morning but Saturday morning it was dry and sunny and we undertook the 1.5 mile walk into Hertford. It is obviously a prosperous area, the cheapest house we saw for sale was £650,000 for a 2 bedroom semi! Obviously reflecting the proximity to London.

Hertford is the county town of Hertfordshire and grew around a ford on the River Lea near its confluence with the rivers Mimran, Beane and Rib. The Lea is navigable from the River Thames to Hertford.

There were just enough shops in the town centre along with street market to keep us occupied for a while and we eventually had lunch outside a cafe that uses its profits for charity and employs people with learning disabilities.

Hertford Castle was initially built in 1066 as a motte and bailey castle just across the river from the current one which is now an iconic Grade 1 listed building dating from the 15th century and is now a venue for events, this evening the gardens are being used for an outdoor cinema.

We took a leisurely walk along a section of the River Lea and then headed back to the campsite covering 4.2 miles in total. The afternoon was spent chilling out.