Royston, Hertfordshire
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Royston | ||
|---|---|---|
|
||
| Statistics | ||
| Population: | 14,570 (2001)[1] | |
| Ordnance Survey | ||
| OS grid reference: | TL357406 | |
| Administration | ||
| District: | North Hertfordshire | |
| Shire county: | Hertfordshire | |
| Region: | East of England | |
| Constituent country: | England | |
| Sovereign state: | United Kingdom | |
| Other | ||
| Ceremonial county: | Hertfordshire | |
| Historic county: | Hertfordshire | |
| Services | ||
| Police force: | {{{Police}}} | |
| Ambulance service: | East of England | |
| Post office and telephone | ||
| Post town: | ROYSTON | |
| Postal district: | SG8 | |
| Dialling code: | 01763 | |
| Politics | ||
| UK Parliament: | North East Hertfordshire | |
| European Parliament: | East of England | |
 |
||
Royston is the most northern town in Hertfordshire, England. It is situated just west of the Greenwich Meridian, which passes through the point where the bypass meets the original A505 alignment. The town centre is just 1 minute 27 seconds west of the meridian. The town lies at the crossing of two ancient thoroughfares, Ermine Street and the Icknield Way (cum Ashwell Street). A cross, named Roisia's Cross, was erected by the crossroads, and it is from this that the town takes its name. The base of the cross still exists and has been placed by the cross roads. The modern equivalent to Icknield Way is the A505 (which now bypasses the town to the north). The A10 follows the alignment of the Ermine Street south of the town, but diverts before it reaches the crossroads. The A1198, known as the Old North Road follows the alignment of Ermine Street northwards.
These roads are sometimes called military roads as they were prepared or improved by Roman military forces to facilitate their access to the hinterland of Britain. The exact site of this cross is unknown but it probably stood in the southeastern angle of the roads between the dome of Royston Cave and the line of Ermine Street in the parish of Barkway. Its name comes from the Lady Roisia, wife of Eudo Dapifer, steward to William the Conqueror. In the late twelfth century there is the first mention of Crux Roys, a wayside cross near a priory of Austin Canons.
The crossroads were linked to five parishes: Therfield, Melbourn, Bassingbourn, Kneesworth and Barkway. Ralph de Rochester founded the priory which came out of a chapel for three canons, later expanded to seven or more regular canons. Royston also had two hospitals, or free chapels, as well as the monastery.
The hospital of St John and St Thomas was founded for lepers and was located to the southwest of the junction. It was founded by Richard Argentine, reputedly a Templar and one time Sheriff of Cambridgeshire.
The Hospital of St Nicholas was situated in the Cambridgeshire side of Royston. It was founded in about 1200 probably by Amphelise, a daughter of Richard the Chamberlain. In 1213 King John granted them a fair to celebrate the feast of St Nicholas (May 8 - 9). The patronage of the hospital subsequently descended to Sir Giles Argentine, who also held the patronage of the other Hospital. In the fourteenth century, St Nicholas Hospital was put under the jurisdiction of that of St John and St Thomas. The whole was suppressed in 1547.
The town having lost is monastic character, the site of the priory was obtained by Robert Chester, a gentleman of the bedchamber to Henry VIII, who set up a market. Much of the town was given over to inns catering for travellers mainly going between London and York. However on April 30, 1603 James VI of Scotland was travelling down to become King James I of England, pausing overnight at the Chester residence.
Within a few months, even before his coronation, King James decided to take up abode at the priory. He soon had an expanse of buildings which were never extensive enough to cater for a full court, but which provided a suitable spot for hunting, near enough to London for convenience and sufficiently far away to deter intrusion. Indeed he created a strict prohibition on anyone else from taking game within 14 miles (23 km) of Royston, and an elaborate infrastructure was established to support the King in the pursuit of his sport.
Queen Anne and Prince Henry only visited the town once, in 1611 – 1612. Next year the Queen opposed the marriage of her daughter, Princess Elizabeth to Frederick V, Elector Palatine, but the King came to Royston with Lord Rochester to negotiate the dowry which was signed there. Following the marriage, celebrated on St Valentine's day 1613, the King, Prince Charles and Frederick came to stay at Royston.
In 1742 a strange cave carved out of the chalk was discovered in the centre of Royston. This cave is located underneath the central crossroads of the town where the Icknield Way crosses Ermine Street.
The carvings in the cave have led to much speculation about the origin and function of the cave. Local historian Sylvia Beamon, in her book Royston cave — used by saints or sinners 1993, contends that there is a link with the Knights Templar, whereas other scholars detail ideas of habitation by a hermit.
Roisia's Cross has led some experts to suggest a link with the Rosicrucians, whose central texts include a reference to a cave with a tomb therein. This has been fuelled by the fact that the marriage between Frederick V, Elector Palatine and Elizabeth of Bohemia daughter of James I of England was negotiated in the town (James I had a palace just by the cross roads.) Frances Yates in her book The Rosicrucian Enlightenment has shown the importance of this marriage to the Rosicrucians, as Frederick V's claim to the throne of Bohemia plunged Germany into the Thirty Years' War.
On August 22, 1992 the cave was used as the site for the reappearance of the London Psychogeographical Association after 35 years of occultation.
The Nature Reserve of Therfield Heath occupies an impressive position overlooking the town from a hill to the south.
