Area Guide: The Hertfordshire village of Kings Langley

The most popular attractions in the village and surrounding area include a carnival, which is held each June, and the Warner Bros Studios in neighbouring Leavesden, which is a major draw for Harry Potter fans.

Ovaltine was once manufactured in Kings Langley, but the former Ovaltine factory has since been converted into a housing development - still maintaining its art deco façade. 

History  

The village - as befits its kingly name - has a rich history, and was once home to a royal palace of the Plantagenet kings of England.

In 1276, Queen Eleanor, wife of Edward I, purchased the manor of Chilterne Langley, which until then was most likely a possession of the Abbey of St Albans.

Queen Eleanor built a hunting palace, complete with its own deer park, on a hill above the village. The village was then named Langley Regina in her honour, before eventually becoming Kings Langley.

A Dominican priory was also established in the village, although it fell into disrepair after Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries, and little remains of it now.

Unfortunately, the same goes for the palace and the church that accompanied the priory, although some elements were reused in the village's Church of All Saints.

The church is the tomb site of the first Duke of York, Edmund of Langley (1341 - 1402).

The Langley part of the village's name means 'long wood or clearing'.

The earliest known mention of the former manor in surviving documents is in a Saxon charter from 1050, which referred to it as 'Langalega'.

In the Domesday Book of 1086 it is recorded as 'Langelai', and in 1254 it was recorded as 'Langel Regis' (Langley of the King).

Amenities  

Amenities in Kings Langley include a library and a Premier Inn hotel. Others include a beauty salon, a physiotherapy centre and shops - including a Boots and a Spar.

Popular food and drink spots in the village include Fred & Ginger Coffee, Oscar's Pizza, The Kitchen at Inspired and Dalling & Co, which is a European café serving both Spanish and British food, along with a wine bar and gluten-free options.

One of the village's oldest pubs is The Saracen's Head, which serves beers from Tring and has a traditional British pub atmosphere.

Transport links  

The village has good transport links - with the M25 passing just south of the village on a viaduct across the River Gade Valley.

A dual carriageway north of junction 20 with the A41 bypasses Kings Langley and goes on to Tring, while the old route through the village is now classified as the A4251. 

Kings Langley also has a train station which runs services to Tring as well as London Euston, Birmingham, Crewe and Milton Keynes Central.

Apsley and Garston train stations are also near by. 

Property 

There are a range of accommodation options in Kings Langley, with a mix of pretty period homes in the centre and more modern options around the fringes of the village.

According to Rightmove, properties in Kings Langley had an overall average price of £495,382 over the last year. 

Properties currently on the market include a four-bedroom detached property at Vicarage Lane for £975,000 and a two-bedroom detached bungalow at Tom’s Lane for £750,000. 

Schools  

Kings Langley Primary School, which was rated 'good' by Ofsted at its last inspection, takes 60 children each year.

The school has a full-time nursery as well as breakfast and after-school clubs.

For secondary students, the popular Kings Langley School (also rated 'good') serves girls and boys aged 11-18.   

Sport and leisure  

Kings Langley has its own football club and cricket club, as well as Sportspace - a sports complex which offers golf and swimming facilities and timetabled classes such as yoga. 

Phasels Wood Scout Camp and Activity Centre on Rucklers Lane, which opened in 1937, is popular with youth groups. 

This area guide is sponsored by Frost's, who have offices in St Albans, Marshalswick, Wheathampstead and Harpenden (Image: Frost's)