Preston, Hertfordshire

"Temple Dinsley" redirects here. For the former country house, see Princess Helena College.

Preston is a village and civil parish about 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Hitchin in Hertfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census the population was 420.[1]

St Martin, Preston

The village grew up around the Templar holdings at Temple Dinsley, and Princess Helena College is now on the site. The first church was mentioned in 1252, when six acres (24,000 m²) of land was given to nuns from Elstow, Bedfordshire.

Temple Dinsley passed on to the Knights Hospitaller after the dissolution of the Templars. When the Hospitallers were in turn dissolved in 1542, the manor went to Sir Ralph Sadleir.

In the 17th century the village became linked with John Bunyan, who used to hold services in a natural amphitheatre now called Bunyan's Dell.

St Martin's, the local Anglican church, opened in 1900.

The ruined Minsden Chapel, reputed to be haunted, is located near the village, though is actually in Langley civil parish.

References

  1. ↑ "Civil Parish population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
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Coordinates: 51°54′32″N 0°17′07″W / 51.909014°N 0.285301°W / 51.909014; -0.285301


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