History Information Board at Bovingdon Green
Introduction
The photograph on this page of History Information Board at Bovingdon Green by David Hillas as part of the Geograph project.
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Image: © David Hillas Taken: 22 Feb 2020
Located at Bovingdon Green HP3 0LD, this information board has the following wording: Bovingdon Green and Pond History First Column Bovingdon Green is probably medieval in origin and in those days comprised a number of cottages and farms clustered around the Green and surrounding lanes. In 1650, the site was described as Common Land and was a place where villagers were allowed to graze cattle and sheep. A 1695 map of Hertfordshire lists the road from Rickmansworth to Berkhamsted as passing through Bovingdon Green, so there would have been frequent traffic going by. Second Column The centre of the Green is taken up with a cricket pitch which has been in use since the formation of the cricket club in 1884. When American forces were based at Bovingdon Airfield in the early 1940's they used the cricket square as a baseball diamond and even fielded their own cricket team. In the early 1900's, games were held here for children on special occasions such as Empire Day. The Old Berkeley Hunt would also meet on the Green on Boxing Day. Third Column The pond would have provided water for the animals and for domestic use by nearby cottages and farms. It was a well known spot for waggoners to stop and let their horses drink. When the pond froze over in cold weather, the ice was sometimes thick enough for local people to skate on. Over the last few decades, trees and shrubs were allowed to overgrow and to completely enclose the pond. Accumulated leaf litter, debris and silt saw the water level drop considerably. Even though it is now restored the pond used to be much larger and deeper, extending up to the edge of the road. The area surrounding the pond was much more open with little vegetation, as can be seen in the photographs. Fourth Column Bovingdon Green was gifted to Hemel Hempstead Rural District Council in January 1938 by Sir Walter Halsey, Baronet and Lord of the Manor, with two stipulations: that the cricket club should continue to have use of the land for their pitch, and that the Green should be used for recreation by adults and children. Dacorum Borough Council is now responsible for the Green and in 2011 the site was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Fields Challenge status, being one of only two open spaces in Dacorum to receive this honour, which will ensure that Bovingdon Green is protected forever. Some of the text and images have been reproduced with the kind permission of Sarah C.M.Johnson, author of 'BOVINGDON - History of a Hertfordshire Village'. The two benches are made from the wood of a Corsican pine that was felled in the churchyard of St.Lawrence Church in 2007. They were kindly donated by the Friends of St.Lawrence Trust. At the bottom of the information board is a photo with the following wording: i) The pond used to extend up to the roadside opposite the entrance to Grange Farm. ii) The gardens of Bovingdon House were often used for village events such as Bovingdon's annual flower show. The stable block, at the front of this photo, can still be seen today.