Therfield

Toponymy

There are several possible origins for the name Therfield. It may derive from "þyrre field", meaning "dry open land" in Old English. Alternatively, the "Ther" element may have derived from "furrow" or could be a theophoric reference to Thor.

History

There is evidence of prehistoric occupation in the area, particularly along the Icknield Way which forms the northern boundary of the parish. Five bowl barrows dating to the Bronze Age (c. 2000–700 BC) are clustered together on Therfield Heath.

The Domesday Book of 1086 records 52 households at Therfield, including a priest, suggesting that Therfield was a parish by then. Therfield at that time was owned by Ramsey Abbey, 30 miles to the north. The manor of Therfield had been given to Ramsey Abbey in the early 11th century, and remained in its ownership until the dissolution of the abbey in 1539. The manor was then claimed by the crown, which subsequently granted it to St Paul's Cathedral in London.

Although there was a priest recorded at Therfield in the Domesday Book, the first definitive reference to a church at Therfield dates from 1178. A depiction of the Stuart royal arms was retained from the earlier building.

North-west of the church, a motte and bailey castle known as Tuthill was built in the mid-12th century. It seems likely that the castle was built around 1143–1144 following attacks on the area by Geoffrey de Mandeville, 1st Earl of Essex, during the civil war of the Anarchy (1138 to 1153). The castle was coupled with a defensive enclosure surrounding the pre-existing village to the east of the castle. The castle did not last long, falling into disuse in the early 13th century. Archaeological excavation of the castle site was carried out in 1958, after which the site of the motte continued to be protected, but much of the bailey area was levelled in 1960.

Therfield Chapel

Therfield Chapel was established as a congregation of Protestant dissenters (the "Independents") in 1836. The current chapel building was built in 1854. For a time the chapel was known as Therfield Congregational Church, being affiliated to the Congregational Union. When in 1966 the Congregational Union was replaced by a body which espoused more liberal views, the chapel seceded and became affiliated first to the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC), and then to the Evangelical Fellowship of Congregational Churches (EFCC).

Geography

The Nature Reserve of Therfield Heath lies a mile to the north of the village. From here on a clear day it is possible to see Ely Cathedral, over 25 miles to the north-east.

The Icknield Way Path passes through the village on its 110-mile journey from Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire to Knettishall Heath in Suffolk. There is a village hall called the Fordham Memorial Hall on Church Lane. The village has one public house, the Fox and Duck, which overlooks the village green.

The village also includes the Hay Green area to the south, which has another green. There are a number of farms in the rural parts of the parish, and the hamlet of Reed End is on the eastern boundary of the parish, separated from the neighbouring parish of Reed by the Roman road of Ermine Street (now the A10).

Governance

Therfield has three tiers of local government at parish, district and county level: Therfield Parish Council, North Hertfordshire District Council, and Hertfordshire County Council. The parish council meets at Therfield Chapel.

Administrative history

The parish of Therfield historically formed part of the hundred of Odsey. The parish included the parts of the town of Royston which lay south of Icknield Way and west of Ermine Street until 1540, when Royston (which had straddled five parishes) was made a separate parish.

Therfield was included in the Royston Poor Law Union from 1835. The Local Government Act 1894 created parish and district councils. The part of the Royston Poor Law Union within Hertfordshire became Ashwell Rural District; despite the name, the rural district council was always based in Royston. Therfield ceded further territory to Royston in 1897 and 1935. Ashwell Rural District was abolished in 1935, becoming part of Hitchin Rural District, which in turn was abolished in 1974, becoming part of North Hertfordshire.

Population

At the 2021 census, the population of the parish was 588.

References

References

1. "2021 Census Parish Profiles". Office for National Statistics.
2. "Therfield". University of Nottingham.
3. "Three ancient riddles of the Icknield Way".
4. {{NHLE
5. (1912). "A History of the County of Hertford: Volume 3". Victoria County History.
6. "Therfield".
7. The church, which is dedicated to St Mary, was rebuilt in the 14th century and again in 1878, re-using some material from the 14th century building.{{NHLE
8. Hasler, Charles. (1980). "The Royal Arms - Its Graphic And Decorative Development". Jupiter.
9. (1993). "Hertfordshire 1731–1800 as recorded in The Gentleman's Magazine". Hertfordshire Publications.
10. {{NHLE
11. Creighton, O.H. (2004). "'The rich man in his castle, the poor man at his gate': castle baileys and settlement patterns in Norman England". Publications du CRAHM.
12. Biddle, Martin. (1964). "The Excavation of a Motte and Bailey Castle at Therfield, Hertfordshire". Journal of the British Archaeological Association.
13. "Church Profile".
14. "Therfield Fordham Memorial Hall".
15. "Fox & Duck, Therfield".
16. "Therfield Parish Council".
17. "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey.
18. "Therfield Ancient Parish / Civil Parish". GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth.
19. (1912). "A History of the County of Hertford". Victoria County History.
20. "Royston Poor Law Union".
21. {{London Gazette. (9 May 1933)
22. Parish and District Councils Election Results: Therfield, ''Herts and Cambs Reporter and Royston Crow'', 7 December 1894, page 8
23. "Therfield Civil Parish / Ancient Parish". GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth.
24. "Civil Parish population 2011".