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Tilehouse Street

Tilehouse Street runs across the end of Sun Street and Bucklersbury. At its lower (southeastern) end, it becomes Bridge Street.

At the upper end of the street is the Reginald Hine Memorial Garden - a tranquil spot which commemorates the best known Hitchin historian. His tombstone can be found amidst the ruins of Minsden Chapel, to the South of Hitchin towards Codicote and Welwyn along the B656 near to The Royal Oak pub.
Back down the road a little towards Bucklersbury can be found The Cooper's Arms pub. This medieval building is said to have been the Tylers' (brickmakers') Guildhall, from which the street takes its name. All manner of fanciful stories are attached to it: a bricked-up tunnel is said to lead to the Priory & spectral monks are supposed to frequent the place. To visit the Cooper's Arms click here.
Where Sun Street joins Tilehouse Street stands the entrance to the grounds of the Priory.
The Priory was a Carmelite monastery until its dissolution in the 1530s. The buildings were purchased by the Delme-Radcliffes who lived there until 1964. During their residence, in 1770, Robert Adam was commissioned by them to redesign the Priory in the new classical style of the period. The rebuilding proved very costly, but was nevertheless completed in 1777. Now the Priory serves as the offices of an insurance company.

Southeast of here, Tilehouse Street becomes Bridge Street and runs on to Queen St. It passes over the River Hiz which gets it's name from the ancient tribe of The Hicce who occupied the area. The bridge is very low as it replaces an earlier ford.


From here, you can go to Sun Street,
Bucklersbury or to Queen Street.




Last Modified: Friday, 3rd December, 2004 By
Nicolas
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