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Bishop's Stortford is a market town in east Hertfordshire, England just touching the border with Essex. It is situated just west of the M11, is the closest town to London Stansted Airport and part of the London commuter belt.
It has a population of about 35,000 and is administered by the East Hertfordshire district council.
History and naming
Settlers first made their homes in Bishop's Stortford over 250,000 years ago, although there was nothing significant until it became a small Roman settlement on the Roman road of Stane Street between St Albans and Colchester. After the Roman empire broke down, the small town was abandoned.
A new Saxon development grew up. At that time, the settlement was known as Estereford, probably because a family called Estere owned or controlled the river crossing around which the settlement was based. Over time, this became Stortford. In 1060, William, Bishop of London bought the Stortford manor and estate for 8 pounds, and the town has been known as Bishop's Stortford ever since. At the time of the Domesday book the town had a population of around 120. The Normans built a wooden castle in the town, but by the Tudor period it was in ruins. Development of the town increased with the presence of a river and the roads. A weekly market was set up for farmers to sell their goods.
Despite outbreaks of the plague in the 16th and 17th centuries the town continued to grow with an approximate population of 1,200 by this point.
Interestingly, the river Stort is named after the town, and not the town after the river. When cartographers came to the town in the early 1600s, they reasoned that the town must have been named for the ford over the Stort and assumed the river was called the Stort. Ever since, it has been. Until then, there was no 'official' name for the river.
After 1769 the River Stort was made navigable, further transport links improved the town when the town was made a stagecoach stop on the road between Cambridge and London.
By 1801 Bishop's Stortford had become a market town, a corn exchange had been established, whilst the main industry was malting. In 1842 the railway came to Bishop's Stortford; another Victorian era introduction was the opening of a hospital in 1895.
At the beginning of the 20th century, in 1901, the population was over 7,000. By 1951, Bishop's Stortford had expanded further to 13,000. The second half of the 20th century saw Bishop's Stortford's grow even more as the town became a commuter town, and the M11 motorway, nearby Stansted Airport, and the train links to London and Cambridge have contributed to the town now having a population of around 35,000.
Currently, the town centre is undergoing many changes, with the demolition of the old multi-storey car-park and surrounding area to make way for a new town centre area and the building of new flats. There are many plans for further expansion and development of the town due to its continued growth and the expected enlargement of Stansted Airport.
Politics
The town is generally seen as a conservative area, and this can be backed up by the fact that in the 2005 national elections Mark Prisk was elected for the Conservative Party (UK) with a majority of the votes cast (50.5%) and conservative parties (including UKIP) gained 53.8% - although general election results cannot be used as a way of measuring the ideological stance of the constituents, and the fact that the constituency Bishop's Stortford is in covers many other settlements, including Hertford. A recent addition to the Conservative's new shadow cabinet under new leader David Cameron is also from the town.
The most popular political issue for the town is the expansion of Stansted Airport and opposition to any new runways or any kind of growth taking place there (there are no pro-expansion lobbies).
The town also has a Youth Council that meets up once a month that is made up of students from many of the local schools where many local and youth issues are discussed.
Economy
Bishop's Stortford is a particularly affluent area and this is partly due to the town's status as a commuter town for the (mainly financial) workers in London, the town is also home to many working in the tourist related industry, (hotels, catering, airline staff) because it is the closest large town to Stansted Airport. In total about 85% work in the services sector (2001 census).
Transportation
Bishop's Stortford owes its growth to developments in transport. It is well serviced by all forms of transportation:
Rail
It is on the London to Cambridge mainline. This line is operated by One. The reasonably rapid connections to London allow Bishop's Stortford to be part of the London Commuter Belt.Road
Bishop's Stortford is reached by junction 8 of the M11 motorway, which also goes from London to Cambridge, meaning the town is a frequent stop-off point for travellers using the airport. To the north of the town is the A120, a road that joins the A10 in the east to the A12 to the west.Air
Stansted Airport is on the town's doorstep, with easy transport via rail between there and the town. This airport mainly flies to Europe and is the third largest of the four major airports serving London.Bus
The town has many bus routes, including the 308/309 main bus route for travel within Bishop's Stortford and to Stansted Airport. Other, longer routes like the 510 (Stansted Airport - Harlow) and 333 (Stansted - Epping) link Bishop's Stortford with other nearby towns.Famous inhabitants
Bishop's Stortford is the birthplace of Cecil Rhodes, born in 1853 and the effective founder of the state of Rhodesia, De Beers diamond company and the Rhodes Scholarship.
It is also the birthplace of Frederick Scott Archer who invented the collodion process, the first photographic emulsion used to create glass negatives.
Although not strictly a famous inhabitant, Richard Whittington, Lord Mayor of London, owned land in Bishop's Stortford, though there is no record of his having visited the town. The town's Richard Whittington Primary School and the road Whittington Way are both named after him.
Twin towns
Bishop's Stortford is twinned with the following towns: Villiers-sur-Marne in France
Education
The county council (Hertfordshire) is responsible for education. Being in England, Bishop's Stortford follows the English schools model of primary, secondary, and further education. There are 13 primary and 5 secondary schools (two of which are single sex). The town does not have any further education colleges for post 16 education, all post 16 education is received at the secondary schools in the form of sixth form.
There is also an independent school, the Bishop's Stortford College*, which covers the whole educational spectrum from the ages of 4 to 18, and provides facilities which are enjoyed by the whole town.
Many of the secondary schools in the Bishop's Stortford area have gained special college statuses whether this is for technology, sciences, languages or Performing arts. Secondary schools include St Marys Catholic school, Birchwood and Hockerill as well as Boys High and Herts and Essex girls school (With boys admitted in 6th form), the two latter schools may well become one school which would be mixed gender in the near future.
Leisure and entertainment
Bishop's Stortford has many sports facilities, including the Grange Paddocks Pool & Gym, and various leagues are based in the town.
Located in the town centre is Anchor Street Entertainment; a multiplex (referred to by the majority as, 'The complex') hosting a Cineworld Cinema, a Bowling Alley with a bar and arcade, Cannon's Health Club, and a McDonald's. From opening until March 2006 it also hosted a KFC next to the McDonald's.
Also there is the Bishop's Stortford rugby club and the cricket club, as well as Bishop's Stortford Golf Club.
Climate
In the South-East of England, the town enjoys a warmer climate than most of the United Kingdom and has some of the hottest summers in Britain; it is also one of the driest places in the country. Temperatures may sometimes reach the mid-30s °C in the summer. Snow is often seen in the winter months because the town is near to the east coast, where cold, moist air is brought in from the North Sea. In recent years there has been up to 3 inches of snow in February which, has caused some disruptions in transport and has caused some of the schools to shut for a few days. However, this snow hasn't lasted on any occasion for more than a week (in any noticeable quantity).
External links
"Bishop's Stortford"