Royston

Royston is a town in North Hertfordshire about 10miles from Duxford; the town has excellent road and rail communications and has grown rapidly in recent years.  Despite its size, the out-of -town shopping zones, industry etc there is still an area in the centre of the town that reflects its place in the history of the local area and this is where I planned a "cultural" visit based on the town trail map.

Royston grew at the crossing of two ancient thoroughfares; Ermine Street (created after the Roman conquest) and the Icknield Way (originally a prehistoric routeway).  Roisia's Cross was erected at this crossroad and the name evolved to Roisia's Town and then Royston; a large boulder with a socket in it, supposed to be the base of the original cross, is now there.  Royston Cave - an artificial circular, bell-shaped chamber cut into the chalk bedrock - is underneath it and accessed from Melbourn Street (it is only open to the public on certain days during the Summer).

Nearby, on Kneesworth Street, is a large house known as King James' Palace; King James VI stayed in Royston in 1603, went hunting and liked the area so much he decided to build a house here (actually a royal hunting lodge) as it was also close to his other favoured area of Newmarket.  The Royston Museum is on the other side of the road to the house.

Back on Melbourn Street, I detour to see the County Court House - now a trendy bar and kitchen - on Fish Hill. I then double back to pass the Grade II listed Georgian Banyer's House and the Old Town Hall, now Royston Picture House.  These buildings are opposite the Priory Memorial Gardens, formerly attached to a nunnery, where The Parish Church of St. John the Baptist is located; this is Grade I listed and dates from the 12th century.  The border of the Gardens with Melbourn Street is where the WWI War Memorial is located - it features a two-foot high bronze statuette of a private of the First World War with a crow at his feet - and the gardens also house a war memorial dedicated to members of the United States Army Air Force 91st Bomb Group who died whilst stationed at Bassingbourn from 1942 to 1945.

I walk over to the High Street and then up to the Old Bull Inn, a former 15th century coaching inn with stabling for over 100 horses, and a very popular place as on the other side is the Market Square.

An interesting visit; I now see Royston a little differently to how I used to!Read more