High Street

Formerly known as Cock Street, this short road leads from Moss' Corner at the end of Bancroft, to the Market Place.

Moss' corner was the site of the Trooper Inn. The Moss family, whose business sense was legendary in Hitchin, purchased the building towards the end of the 19th century and demolished it in 1899 to make way for the building that exists today. During the work a number of human skeletons were found, possibly the remnants of an ancient graveyard.

The street's original name refers to the Cock Inn, halfway along. This inn was built in 1563, probably using stones from the Priory. The inn was known for staging cockfights,hence its name. It was originally much larger than today, having stables for 68 horses. In 1931 Woolworth's purchased and demolished a large portion of the building, erecting a store in its place. This store is now used by Boot's, and Woolworth's have moved to the other side of the Cock (demolishing Perks & Llewellyn the Chemists - whose Victorian shop interior is preserved in Hitchin Museum).

Next to Boot's is Barclays Bank. This Italianate edifice was constructed in 1841 to house the bank of Sharples, Exton and Lucas.

From here, you can go to the Market Place,
or to Bancroft.