Living in the Essex town of Bishop’s Stortford offers a blend of modern convenience and charming countryside. It’s ideal for commuters, with the Bishop’s Stortford railway station providing direct services to London Liverpool Street via the Greater Anglia line in under 40 minutes. The town is also a short drive from Stansted Airport. Schools such as Hockerill Anglo-European College and Bishop’s Stortford College are highly regarded. Housing options range from historic cottages in the town center to modern developments on the outskirts. The town features a variety of shops, including major retailers like Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, and Marks & Spencer, alongside local boutiques and cafes. Residents enjoy easy access to green spaces, with Castle Park and the scenic River Stort offering ample opportunities for outdoor activities. The town’s amenities, vibrant community, and leafy surroundings make it a desirable place to live.

Bishop’s Stortford has a rich history dating back to Roman times when it was a small settlement. The town’s name originates from the Anglo Saxon period, and is believed to have emerged from the Saxon words meaning ‘tail fort’. The Bishop of London bought the Stortford estate in 1060 for £8, hence its current name, and the castle of Waytemore was built in 1086. During the medieval period, it became a thriving market town, with its market charter granted in the early 1200s. Its location along a major Roman Road helped it grow into a centre of tanning and malting, but its poor roads, made worse by the transport of heavy goods, often cut it off from travellers. The river was therefore canalised in the mid-18th century, which both allowed the area to transport more goods out and helped with the regular flooding of the town. The 19th century saw significant growth with the arrival of the railway, boosting both commerce and population. Today, Bishop’s Stortford retains its historical charm with landmarks such as St Michael’s Church and the afforementioned Waytemore Castle, reflecting its storied past.

The infamous politician and founder of the Rhodesia colony, was born to the vicar of St Michael’s Church in 1853. He extended the diamond mining trade in South Africa on behalf of the British Empire with his compnay De Beers and joined the Cape Parliament in 1881. He became a very wealthy mining magnate at what some condisder the expense of the South African people, and his colonialist and white supremacist views have meant that his legacy has come under scrutiny in recent years, and many of the institutions named after him, including the Oxford University Rhodes Scholarship have been subject to debate.

Like many commuter towns that lie just outside the Green Belt, Bishop’s Stortford is seeing increased development, including the large Stortford North project which will see over 2,200 new homes built in the northern part of the town.