Oxhey Village contains a range of listed buildings and structures of important historical interest. The page lists some of those recorded by Historic England, along with further local context.
This list is not exhaustive and is currently being developed. If you can provide additional information on the subjects covered in this article, please contact history@oveg.org.
14 Chalk Hill
Chalk Hill House, at 14 Chalk Hill, is a 17th century, timber-framed, former farmhouse. The two-storey structure is Grade II listed by Historic England. It was first listed in August 1975.
The farmhouse is a surprising survival, given the later developments that surround it. The wall that lines the property along Chalk Hill is made of flint, embedded with easily distinguishable ‘sculptures.’
Historic England’s listing notes the building’s external features such as plain tile roofs, the brick chimney on the front wall, a wooden porch, and sash windows. It also references internal features including angled queen-post roof trusses, ceiling beams on the ground floor, and a fireplace dating from the later-18th to early-19th centuries.
That section of the building nearest the road is the earliest part of the building, dating to the 17th century. At the rear is a twin-roofed 18th century brick wing.
Sparrows Herne Trust turnpike marker
The Sparrows Herne Trust turnpike marker is located on Lower High Street, close to Bushey Arches. It is Grade II listed by Historic England. It was first listed in March 1991.
Sparrows Herne Trust was the organisation responsible for maintaining the road from Bushey Arches to Aylesbury in exchange for the right to collect tolls from road users.
The post is the last visible remnant of the old toll gate. This gate – also known as a turnpike –would only be opened in exchange for a fee. The fees were used to maintain the road’s surface. The trust is thought to have functioned from 1762 to 1872.
Originally the road rose more steeply from the Colne up to Crooklog, Bushey but in 1810 the Trust made a deep cutting through Chalk Hill to smooth its irregular gradient.
The marker is currently situated on the edge of the Jaguar Land Rover showroom. It is encased in a stone surround and bears a concrete slab reading: “This is the oldest remaining turnpike marker in Watford & is preserved within this development.”
Church of St Matthew, Oxhey
St Matthew Church is a Church of England place of worship in Oxhey Village. It is the parish church of Oxhey and part of the Anglican Diocese of St Albans.
The church building is Grade II listed by Historic England. It was first listed in January 1983.
It was constructed by W H Syme in 1880 in a red brick Gothic revival style, with elements of early Art Nouveau. In the south transept’s Lady Chapel, there is luminous Karl Parsons stained glass, dating to around 1916.
War Memorial Cross at St Matthew’s Church, Oxhey
The memorial is Grade II listed by Historic England. It was first listed in March 2018.
More information will be added here soon.
Bushey Arches Railway Viaduct
The viaduct is Grade II listed by Historic England. It was first listed in January 1983.
More information will be added here soon.
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