Traditional Hertfordshire Project 2017
A Heritage Lottery funded project is bringing together six museums and archives across Hertfordshire to explore its folklore and stories.
Although often seen now as simply a northward extension of London, Hertfordshire is traditionally a rural, farming county. The introduction of the railways began the gradual process of converting the county into commuter belt, but many of Hertfordshire’s rural traditions and customs survived well into the 20th century, and some can still be found here and there, especially in the north of the county.
Hertfordshire’s traditions are sometimes simply local expressions of customs that could once be found all over Britain, and often beyond across Europe, whereas others are more specific to the county. Then again, some (and maybe ultimately all) traditions have been brought here from outside, ranging from ancient tribal movements to the mobility and immigration of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Whether traditions have belonged to Hertfordshire since time immemorial or been brought here recently, and whether they’re still alive or were recorded in time before dying out, they’re all part of what has made the Hertfordshire we know today.
