Berkhamsted

Berkhamsted is a market town in Hertfordshire, England, stretching along the River Bulbourne through a narrow valley. Brick shops and houses line both sides of the main street, with wooded hillsides rising behind them to frame the valley.

William the Conqueror received the surrender of Anglo-Saxon leaders here in December 1066, weeks after the Battle of Hastings. A Norman castle was built shortly afterward and served for centuries as a royal residence and administrative center.

The town name comes from Old English, combining birch trees and a homestead, reflecting the wooded landscape that still surrounds the settlement today. Residents gather at independent shops and cafés that maintain the character of a working market community rather than a tourist destination.

The town center is easy to explore on foot, with shops, ruins, and the canal towpath all within a short walk of each other. Most shops and cafés open Monday through Saturday, with limited Sunday trading at selected businesses.

The Grand Union Canal flows through the center of town, using 18th-century locks that still move narrow boats up and down the valley. Old warehouses and bridges along the banks recall the time when goods traveled by water rather than road.