Kimpton, Hertfordshire

Kimpton is a village in Hertfordshire, England, six miles south of Hitchin and four miles from Harpenden and Luton. The population at the 2011 Census was 2,167.[1]

The Green, Kimpton, Hertfordshire

History

Kimpton is mentioned in the Domesday Book: "In the Half-Hundred of HITCHIN 24 Ralph holds KIMPTON from the Bishop. It answers for 4 hides. Land for 10 ploughs. In Lordship 2; a third possible. 2 Frenchmen and 12 villagers with 2 smallholders have 7 ploughs. 3 cottagers; 5 slaves. Meadow for 6 oxen; woodland, 800 pigs; 1 mill at 8s. The total value is and was £12; before 1066 £15. Aelfeva, mother of Earl Morcar, held this manor."[2]

The manor was later held by the Hoo-Keate family, and then by marriage to the Dacre family. The village hall is called Lady Dacre Hall.

Parish church of St. Peter and St. Paul, Kimpton, Hertfordshire

Parish church of St. Peter and St. Paul

Kimpton has a spacious flint-built parish church in the unusual transitional style between Norman and Early English. The Dacre Chapel has a fine Perpendicular screen, and the remains of early wall paintings in the chancel show St Christopher and the Seven Corporal Works of Mercy. The belfry contains a peal of eight bells, the oldest having been cast c.1390.

Kimpton village

The village lies along the valley of a dried-up river bed and is about one mile long. Some of the houses on the High Street date back to the 16th century, but most are 19th and early 20th century. Behind the High Street are two large housing estates built in the 1970s.

The village has a reputation for its strong community spirit with over 50 clubs and organisations meeting regularly and helping to support the village as a whole. Every year at the beginning of May, many of these groups set up a stall on the Recreation Ground as part of the annual local fundraiser, the May Festival - an event run over three days featuring an art exhibition, craft market, stalls, arena entertainments, six mile sponsored run, walk with clues to solve, village concert, quiz, cream teas with jazz band.

Kimpton's most recent addition in terms of festivities is the Kimpton Folk Festival, which started in 2016, and has become widely popular in the folk community, with well-known folk acts performing in various areas of Kimpton. This thorough exploration of the folk genre is coupled with rustic and original catering meticulously selected to appeal to all palettes in order to create a truly authentic experience. Kimpton Folk Festival is organised by its parent organisation Kimpton Folk Events, which exists to promote and grow the art and science of folk culture in the wider community.

The village school is a thriving primary and nursery school with over 150 children.

The Kimpton Flood

In February 2001, Kimpton was hit by flooding due to an unprecedented amount of rainfall. The dried up river Kym, which was now a vital road, emerged again and followed its natural course from Netherfield Springs, through Kimpton and joined the Mimram at Kimpton Mill. The situation became fairly serious on the 24th when business owners from the Industrial Estate on Claggy road and also residents at risk hired pumps and called the Fire Brigade to try to deal with the 1-metre-deep water flow. The total cost of the damage caused by the flood was approximately £500,000. There is evidence suggesting that this is not the only flood to occur in the history of the village. There was a BBC news report on the situation.

References
  1. "Civil Parish population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  2. Domesday Book (1976, Phillimore, Chichester) 12 Hertfordshire Chapter 5 (folio 134 d)

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