Baldock, Hertfordshire...

Baldock sits below the lovely Chiltern Hills on the crossroads of the ancient Icknield Way and the Great North Road 37 miles from London.  There is evidence of a Bronze Age settlement where the Icknield Way passed the Ivel Springs, and there was an important Roman town around what is now Clothall Road.  The blueprint for the town we recognise as Baldock today began about the time of the Second Crusade in 1147 when the Earl of Pembroke gave "ten librates of land" from his Weston Manor and the rights to the income of markets and fairs to The Poor Knights of Christ and the Temple of Solomon (Knights Templar).  

Source:- St Mary the Virgin, Baldock: a Christian journey

Pretty buildings from the Georgian period of prosperity...

These 16th century buildings were once an Inn called 'The Talbot' (The Talbot was a hunting dog) and in the 18th century they became part of a large complex of maltings..

1 Church Street dates from the 15th or 16th century and was once the residence of some of the rectors of St Mary's church....

… must have been tall horses back in the day!

Former maltings …..  more tall horses again!  Interestingly, a brewer of Baldock, James Ind, well his son Edward founded the Ind Coope brewery in Romford.  Dad used to say Ind Coope beer was best!

St Mary the Virgin.....

The Medieval  Arca Domini...

Sculptures of heads thought to be representations of the inhabitants of Baldock … are we looking at wealthy Baldock merchants and their wives?  It is wonderful to think that we are.

.... quite a striking appearance this man had...

oh! ….

and was this the stone mason's loyal friend?  Woof!