Connecting the south of the market town of Berkhamsted to the town of Tring, along the Bulbourne River valley, lies the village and civil parish of Northchurch. Although now considered a suburb of the nearby Berkhamsted, Northchurch has historically existed in its own right as a village entity, with archaeological remains suggesting that Northchurch, rather than Berkhamsted, was the original site of the town! Nowadays Northchurch’s housing stock is varied in price and range; from small-scale bungalow properties, country cottages, and terraced town houses, this area boasts a plentiful array of properties nestled in a wealth of pastoral landscapes!

Northchurch was built along the Akeman Road, a Roman road that connected London to the Midlands through Chester. For many years it was presumed that the neighbouring Berkhamsted was the original site of occupation, but recent archaeological developments highlighted a startling new discovery. In 1973, construction of a new housing estate in Northchurch was beginning, when they accidentally discovered the remains of a Roman villa! The villa itself is thought to be dated from 60 AD, and evaluation records show it was a largely agricultural property dedicated to the raising of sheep! The Saxons also occupied this area of land, highlighted by the Saxon era St. Mary’s church that still stands today, before moving westwards and developing the Berkhamsted that stands today, suggesting that the original site of the town was always originally Northchurch!

St. Mary’s church graveyard is home to the resting place of Peter the Wild Boy. Peter was a child who was found by a hunting party of George the I in Hanover, Germany, living in complete isolation in the woods, and could neither speak, read, nor write. He was brought to England by George the I in 1726, and after living in London, was moved to Northchurch under the care of Mrs. Titchbourne. He was buried in Northchurch following his death in 1785!

Nowadays Northchurch is most commonly viewed as an attachment to Berkhamsted, with its own independent retail district and community hubs. Although Dacorum council has proposed a large re-scaling of housing across the borough, there has been little implemented in the immediate area of Northchurch. Instead, these developments are heavily focused south of Berkhamsted, with the proposed development of 850 new homes!