With history and beauty round every corner, Hertford has so much to offer as a destination for a perfect day trip. Once home to royalty, with secrets hidden beneath. Discover the highlights of the county town through images perfectly captured by residents. Come visit us, we can’t wait to welcome you.

Hertford Castle

Start your day trip with a visit to the historic Hertford Castle. The site was a Royal Palace for over 300 years and today the gate house sits proud in the centre of Hertford.

Queen Elizabeth 1st spent her childhood at the castle in the 1300’s, however the site dates back to the Norman times in 1066.

Hertford Castle has been a palace, court and prison. The castle has even held parliament during the great plague. 

During most bank holidays and town festivals the castle holds free tours of the various rooms and floors. The highlight with my children is a trip down below ground where you will find the castle dungeon! (If only we could leave them :@))

Castle Park

Hertford Castle is surrounded by well kept gardens which are used by residents year round.

The gardens known locally as Castle Park feature a number of historic sites to explore within it’s 12th century surrounding wall.

Throughout the year a large number of free events are held on the castle lawn. These are always well attended and include, a car show, music festivals, heritage days, food festivals and a proposed christmas market (unfortunately cancelled this year due to the pandemic).

Check out whats happening and when at Hertford Castle .. Link Coming Soon

Historic Town Centre

Hertford town center oozes charm with iconic buildings, great shops and a range of places to grab a bite to eat.

A County Town for good reason, Hertford is packed with history running through its streets, possibly below them too!

Many believe that a labrynth of secret tunnels lay beneath town possibly hiding treasure hidden by the Knights Templar.

Built on beer, Hertford town centre is home to a working brewery, brilliant museum and a theatre which punches far beyond its weight!

2020 will see constuction start on the new “Lea Wharf” riverside shopping area connecting the town center with the River Lea which flows through it.

Check out the blog “Secrets of Hertford town centre” coming soon…

A Food & Drink Paradise

Hertford has a wide selection of eateries catering for every taste. Charming waterside pubs, Italian to Thai, you name it .. Hertford has it! Check out Lussmans in our Iconic Egyptian building or grab a Katsu Curry at Mr Tanaka’s. Try sushi at Oishi or tuck into Pie & Mash at Chloe’s.

Hertford Theatre

Hertford Theatre is in the heart of the town and regarded as one of the best small theatres in the county, if not the country. 2021 will see a huge £19m investment plan commence to increase capacity and add 3 bespoke cinema screens to its offering. We Love Hertford Theatre.

Historic Horse & Dray about town

Hertford is a Country Town with a history of brewing. McMullen still to this day operate their brewery in the centre of town. If you are very lucky you may get to see the Horse and Dray delivering beer “the old fashioned way” to the local pubs.

Hertford Museum - Free to enter

Hertford has a fantastic little Museum which is FREE to enter. If you are in town do pop in and take a look around, there are some fascinating exhibits and not all related just to Hertford. The museum has a secret hidden “knott” garden. Absolutly worth a visit! 

Vibrant unique shopping

Hertford is having an independent retail revolution at the moment with a growing number of quirky shops opening in town to explore. We have some of the most unique gift shops around including Eye Mind Heart – Five & Dime and Rossis Attic to name a few.

Hartham Common

Close to the town centre you will find Hartham Common, loved by locals for centuries. Sometimes known as Hartham Park here you will find large open spaces, riverside walks and high trails through the trees looking down to town below. 

A new class leading children’s playground will be opening in 2021featuring unique play and water elements. This will compliment the existing leisure features which include a leisure centre and swimming pool, tennis courts, 3G pitches, skate park, cycle hub and seasonal park coffee kiosk. 

Hertford Riverside

With riverside pubs and a towpath lined with barges and canal boats, Hertford enjoys a calming and historic waterside setting where 4 rivers converge.

The River Lea flows through Hertford on its way to neighbouring town, Ware. Lee & Stort Boat Co, a waterbus service connects Hertford with our friends in Ware.

Alternatively take a 30 min loop on foot along the river from Bull Plain in the centre of Hertford. Start at The Barge Pub down alongside the historic “Folly Island” and onto the large Hertford wier. From here turn left into Hartham Park and explore heading back to town .

Come visit us

So I hope that this little article has sparked your interest in visiting Hertford. We have lots of history to discover, shops to explore, green space to enjoy and dishes to taste.

I hope you enjoy Hertford as much as we do.

Dan – I Love Hertford