In the third part of a new series looking at the history of the built environment of Rickmansworth and its surrounding areas, Three Rivers Museum Trust chairman Fabian Hiscock looks at the development of the Church Street area.

Church Street had, from the earliest days, carried the traffic of the town past the church and towards London via Batchworth. Like the High Street, it has changed constantly.

As late as 1840 building stopped at the church (which had been rebuilt in the 1820s, and then rebuilt again in the 1880s to return it to its medieval style), with Church Row cottages where Skidmore Way now is; and there were no roads off it except Bury Lane.

Everything on the Batchworth side after the vicarage was termed ‘the island’, since it was bounded by the Town Ditch and the River Chess – and it was free of tithes.

Watford Observer: Church Street in 1988 – new businesses in place of old. Church Street in 1988 – new businesses in place of old. (Image: Three Rivers Museum)

The houses north of the church were pretty closely packed, although with relatively few inhabitants – one was the vicar, in what’s now the Old Vicarage. And there were a few shops, and three pubs – the Cock (the Feathers since the 1880s), the King’s Arms and the Chequers, which was to lose its licence in 1912.

What is probably the oldest building in the town, the Priory, had been the ‘church house’ in the Middle Ages and the home of one of the religious guilds, but by the 19th century formed two residential ‘tenements’.

Watford Observer: The Priory, a residue of the earliest developments. The Priory, a residue of the earliest developments. (Image: Three Rivers Museum)

The 1840s business being done in Church Street included a blacksmith, a wheelwright, a carpenter, a draper’s shop, and a few others unstated. But it was really in the second half of the 19th century that commerce developed towards what we know now, changing the appearance of the street as more shops appeared – and new businesses replacing the earlier ones. Remember, though, that the sewage system didn’t start to appear until 1902 – some developments took longer than others!

Watford Observer: The old Vicarage, now offices. The old Vicarage, now offices. (Image: Three Rivers Museum)

The photos show some of those developments. Talbot and Norfolk Roads began to fill in behind the High Street from the 1880s, and were mainly residential. People like Stephen Beeson the plumber, George Jones the coach builder, George Eames the builder and George Davis the ironmonger set up new businesses in Church Street, and by 1891 many of the buildings at the town end were described as ‘shop’, often with the family living on site. A watchmaker, a tobacconist, a confectioner and a toy dealer were all there, with the Batchworth end now built up with residential terraces and cottages. And pubs like the Eight Bells and the Three Horseshoes had appeared, with the Railway Hotel at the far end near the new-ish station.

Watford Observer: The premises of George Jones in about 1910, already changing to accommodate the motor vehicle. The premises of George Jones in about 1910, already changing to accommodate the motor vehicle. (Image: Three Rivers Museum)

We can see how these changes have continued over the years since: some of the story can be gleaned just by looking at the roof lines, for example from the Talbot Road car park. We may not be able to hold back the changes which modern life requires, but we can at least understand what’s gone before – and remember it.