Long Marston, Hertfordshire

The name of the village is likely to derive from 'Mershton', literally Marsh Farm, a reference to its propensity for flooding . By 1751 this had developed into the name Long Marcon .

"Straggling crossroads place stuck in the dullish, well-watered flatlands north of Tring. The ruined, ivy-covered flint tower is all that remains of a deserted medieval church - a must for the modern-day follower of the Tour of Dr Syntax (Rowlandson). A new church, uninspired in itself, incorporates fragments of the old - chancel arch and windows - and also the Perpendicular aisle piers from Tring parish church. In the main street are plain cottages, a bit of timber-framing and weather-boarding in good harmony. Some thoughtless new development. "In 1751 the village pond was the scene of England's last witch-lynching, when Ruth Osborn, the 'witch', was captured and drowned. One of her tormentors ended up gibbeted at Gubblecote Cross (1/2 m. E.), close to the moated site of a deserted medieval village." [From Hertfordshire (a Shell Guide),R. M. Healey, Faber & Faber, London, 1982]

In 1751 it is claimed that elderly husband and wife John and Ruth Osborne were both lynched. However it is highly debatable whether this lynching actually happened in Long Marston and it is widely believed that it actually occurred in the village of Wilstone.[1]

Long Marston is also host to a primary school, Long Marston JMI. The school was built after the original school, built during the Victorian era, was bombed during World War Two. The current school, built in 1951, has gradually grown and extended with the village and its population.

Due to transport links improving and more people owning cars, the number of services in Long Marston has slowly diminished. One public house remains, the Queens Head. Historically there were four. The White Hart and the Rose and Crown shut many years ago, but the Boot was a recent loss and quite a severe one for village life as the local shop and Post Office had been relocated there. Now the nearest stores are at Wilstone, Wingrave or Tring.

The village is home to Long Marston Cricket Club, one of the most affluent village cricket clubs in the Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire region. The club attracts players of all ages from across the two counties, with many junior teams as well three senior teams which play on Saturdays throughout the summer. There is also a Sunday team that play primarily at home.

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