Harpenden History

This part of our website ranges from a summary of how the parish of Harpenden, with its scattered settlements and farms - from Falkners End to Bowling Alley (Southdown), from Kinsbourne Green to Hatching Green, from Cooters End to Topstreet and Batford - has developed and become modern Harpenden.  It includes pen-portraits of notable residents and buildings, contributions from local people - past and present - and articles on a huge (but not exhaustive) list of Topics.

The Picture Gallery,  Maps & Plans, and information about publications in 'Our Resources' complements this section with scans of old photos, prints and a taster of items in our collection of artefacts.

The Street by Street section invites you to share what you know about your house and its previous occupants, or about previous owners and users of the fields beneath. Our main source for information prior to 1974 is Kelly's Directories.