Sawbridgeworth facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sawbridgeworth
St Mary the Great, Sawbridgeworth
Sawbridgeworth
Population	8,458 (2011 Census, parish)
OS grid reference	TL481151
Civil parish	Sawbridgeworth
District	East Hertfordshire
Shire county	Hertfordshire
Region	East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Sawbridgeworth
Postcode district	CM21
Dialling code	01279
Police	Hertfordshire
Fire	Hertfordshire
Ambulance	East of England
EU Parliament	East of England
UK Parliament	Hertford and Stortford
List of places UK England Hertfordshire 51°48′50″N 0°09′00″E / 51.814°N 0.150°E / 51.814; 0.150

Sawbridgeworth is a town and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England. It is very close to the border with Essex. The town is about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) east of Hertford. It is also about 9 miles (14.5 kilometers) north of Epping. Sawbridgeworth is the most northern part of the Greater London Built-up Area.

History of Sawbridgeworth

Before the Norman conquest in 1066, most of this area belonged to an Anglo-Saxon named Angmar the Staller.

The town was first written about in the Domesday Book of 1086. It was called "Sabrixteworde" back then. After the Battle of Hastings, William the Conqueror gave the land to Geoffrey de Mandeville I. Important people from Sawbridgeworth's past include John Leventhorpe. He helped manage the wills of both King Henry IV and King Henry V. Also, Anne Boleyn, who was a wife of King Henry VIII, owned the Pishiobury/Pishobury estate near the town.

Entrance to Great Hyde Hall, which was once known as Hyde Hall.

A print of Hyde Hall from 1818 by J. P. Neale.

In the 1920s, Sir Walter Lawrence, a famous builder, bought the Great Hyde Hall mansion and its land. In 1934, he started the Walter Lawrence Trophy for the fastest century (100 runs) in county cricket. He built a cricket ground and a special building for players on his land. Many famous cricketers came to play against Sir Walter's home team. Great Hyde Hall was sold in 1945 and became a school. Today, it is a special historic building that has been turned into homes.

Many buildings in the town center are very old. They date back to the Tudor, Stuart, and Georgian times. This area is protected to keep its historic look.

Great St Mary's Church is a very important old building. It was built in the 13th century, but there was a church here even in Saxon times. It has a Tudor tower with a clock bell from 1664 and eight ringing bells. The oldest bell is from 1749. The church is called 'Great' St Mary's to tell it apart from another St Mary's church nearby. Ralph Jocelyn of Hyde Hall, who was Lord Mayor of London twice, is buried here. The church has many old brass engravings of his family and other local people. People who enjoy brass rubbing often visit. Some say the ghost of Sir John Jocelyn, who loved horses, appears riding a white horse on November 1st each year.

The town became rich because of its maltings, which were places where grain was prepared for brewing. Some of these old buildings are now antiques centers. George Fawbert and John Barnard were maltsters who started a charity in 1839. This charity helped local children get an education. They funded a local infant school that is still open today.

By the time of the Norman conquest, Sawbridgeworth had very good farmland. It was the richest village in the county. Many important families in the medieval period had estates here. The land was divided into different manors, which were like large estates. The lord of each manor had rights over the land and the people who farmed it. Over time, more manors were created. Many of these came from the original land held by the de Mandeville family. The first of these new manors was called Sayesbury manor. The important people who owned these manors built big houses with hunting parks. When they died, their tombs were placed in the parish church. This is why St Mary's Church has one of the best collections of church monuments in the country.

During the Second World War, RAF Sawbridgeworth was an airfield nearby. It was used by planes like Supermarine Spitfires, Westland Lysanders, North American Mustangs, and de Havilland Mosquitos. The Walter Lawrence & Son Ltd company in Sawbridgeworth helped a lot during the war. They built over 1,000 parts for Mosquito planes for de Havilland. After the war, they went back to making wooden parts for buildings. The factory closed around 1982, and houses were built there.

Sawbridgeworth is the birthplace of composer Bernard Rose and actor Stephen Greif.

Since 1973, Sawbridgeworth has been twinned with Bry-sur-Marne in France. Since 2018, it has also been twinned with Moosburg an der Isar in Germany.

How Sawbridgeworth is Governed

Parliamentary Representation

Sawbridgeworth is part of the parliamentary area called Hertford and Stortford. For many years, this area elected Members of Parliament (MPs) from the Conservative Party. However, in the 2024 general election, the area elected a Labour Party MP, Josh Dean.

Town Mayors

The Mayor of Sawbridgeworth mostly has a special, ceremonial role. A different town councillor usually holds this position each year. The Mayor leads the Full Council meetings. Here are the Mayors since 2012:

Sawbridgeworth has its own fire station on Station Road. It has one fire engine and is staffed by on-call firefighters. The town had its own fire brigade from 1897. In 1948, the local fire brigade became part of the Hertfordshire Fire Brigade, which is now called the Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Geography of Sawbridgeworth

Sawbridgeworth is right on the border between Hertfordshire and Essex. The village of Lower Sheering in Essex is next to Sawbridgeworth on its eastern side. It shares a Sawbridgeworth postal address.

Geology of Sawbridgeworth

Deep under the town is a layer of London Clay. On top of this is a thick layer of Boulder clay. This clay was left behind during the ice ages. You can also find special rocks called Hertfordshire puddingstone around the town.

Education in Sawbridgeworth

Sawbridgeworth has a secondary school called Leventhorpe Academy. It used to have a public swimming pool and leisure center, which closed at the end of 2024. There are also two primary schools, Reedings and Mandeville. The town has one infant school, Fawbert & Barnard.

Media in Sawbridgeworth

Sawbridgeworth is in the area for BBC London and ITV London television. TV signals come from the Crystal Palace TV transmitter. You can also get BBC East and ITV Anglia from the Sandy Heath transmitter.

Local radio stations include BBC Three Counties Radio, Heart Hertfordshire, and East Herts Radio, which is a community station.

The town has local newspapers like the Bishop's Stortford Independent and the Hertfordshire Mercury.

Sports in Sawbridgeworth

Sawbridgeworth Town FC is a local football club started in 1897. Their men's team plays in the Spartan South Midlands League. They play their home games at Crofters End.

Sawbridgeworth Cricket Club has three adult teams and seven youth teams. The main cricket ground is Town Fields, behind Bell Street. There is also a second ground at Leventhorpe Academy.

Sawbridgeworth also has tennis and bowls clubs.

Local Groups in Sawbridgeworth

Sawbridgeworth is home to 309 Squadron of the Air Training Corps. The 1st Sawbridgeworth Scout Group, which started in 1908, is also located in the town.

Transport in Sawbridgeworth

The A1184 road goes through the town. The River Stort flows along the eastern edge of the town, next to the railway.

The town has its own train station, Sawbridgeworth railway station. It is on the line between London Liverpool Street and Cambridge. All trains are run by Greater Anglia.

Bus services connect Sawbridgeworth to Harlow, Bishops Stortford, and Stansted Airport. These are run by Arriva Herts & Essex.

Notable People from Sawbridgeworth

• Alexander Annesley, a lawyer.
• David Beckham, a famous former England football captain, and his wife, singer Victoria Beckham, used to live in Rowneybury House.
• Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII, owned Pishiobury.
• Robert Jocelyn, 1st Viscount Jocelyn, who was a high-ranking judge in Ireland.
• Pip Pyle, a progressive rock drummer.
• Thomas Rivers, a nurseryman who grew plants.
• Elizabeth Rivers, an artist.
• Rowland Alston, a Member of Parliament.
• John Stanier (British Army officer), a high-ranking officer in the British Army.
• Frank Silcock, a first-class cricketer.
• Christine Walkden, a television presenter and gardener.

Images for kids

• 

  Council Offices, The Forebury, Sawbridgeworth

• 

  Sawbridgeworth Town Council coat of arms

See also

In Spanish: Sawbridgeworth para niños