Drayton Beauchamp, Buckinghamshire Beggars Bush Hill 1820

The New Monthly Magazine, Volume 13, 1820 recorded:

“The Sparrows Herne Trust are making another very excellent improvement in their tine of road, by cutting through the steep chalk hill, at the London entrance of the town of Watford, so as to reduce the hill nearly one half. We are informed that it is the Earl of Bridgewater’s intention to cut an entire new line of road, so as to avoid the present dangerous entrance into the town of Tring, and also that it is in contemplation to lower Beggar Bush Hill, between Tring and Aston Clinton, which will most certainly be a great public benefit, as that hill in Its present state is dangerously steep.”

A gate on the Sparrows Herne Turnpike Trust. The turnpike had been created in 1762 but this gate was not opened until 1860. It was west of Tring, at Beggars Bush Hill (Tring Hill) in the parish of Drayton Beauchamp, Buckinghamshire, with a side-gate across Upper Icknield Way leading northwards to the hamlet of Bulbourne in the parish of Tring.

At Watford where one of the original gates of the Trust was at the entrance to the estate of Lord Cassiobury, where there was also a Beggars Bush – it is possible that this name was a transfer from there, or vice versa.

OS Grid

SP905111

Sources

Hertfordshire Records and Local Studies, Records of Turnpike Trusts Catalogue Ref. TP

The History of the Sparrows Herne Turnpike

Posted: April 24th, 2011 | Filed under: Places | Tags: Buckinghamshire, Drayton Beauchamp, Watford | No Comments »