St Ippolyts is a picturesque village offering residents idyllic rural surroundings within easy reach of both Hitchin and Stevenage. We found out more about this pretty place...
The unusual name 'Ippolyts' originally comes from St Hippolytus, to whom the village church was dedicated.
While the standard spelling is accepted as 'St Ippolyts', the name of the village has been spelled various different ways. The 1881 census mentioned 28 different spellings, all of which referred to the same place.
Even today, official road signs to the village on consecutive junctions on the A602 show a contradictory spelling of the name as 'St Ippollitts'.
St Hippolytus is believed to be a second century Christian theologian, but not very much is officially known about his origins and his life.
The church was built in 1087 on a green hillside overlooking the village, and the building still stands fully intact today. According to the church's records, the building was commissioned by Judith de Lens, the niece of William the Conqueror.
Judith de Lens gave evidence against her husband Waltheof, a Saxon Earl, which led to his execution. The funding of the church was an attempt to make amends for this act.
Property
In keeping with the village's aesthetic, St Ippolyts boasts many charming period properties in the centre, including 17th century gabled houses and 16th century timber-framed homes.
Grade II listed detached properties are also available, although it is admittedly rare to find one for sale.
The village of St Ippolyts is always evolving. The first council houses were built in 1921, and the quaint village green has existed since 1969, following the demolition of 18 cottages.
The Broadmeadow estate was built in the 1990s, followed by housing association developments The Glebe and Townsend Place.
According to Rightmove, properties in St Ippolyts had an overall average price of £559,167 over the last year.
Homes currently on the market in the village include a five-bedroom detached house at Mill Road for £1,195,000 and a three-bedroom semi-detached house at Orchard Close for £500,000.
Transport
St Ippolyts is well-connected to neighbouring areas. The village is a short drive from Junction 8 of the A1(M), and the closest train station is located in Hitchin, which is just over two miles north of the village.
Bus services also connect the village to many larger towns and cities, including St Albans, Hitchin and Welwyn Garden City.
Schools
St Ippolyts Church of England Primary School was founded in 1847 and has strong links with the local church and its community.
The school proudly believes in providing "the best possible education for each individual child, underpinned by Christian values". It received a 'good' rating at its most recent Ofsted report in 2018.
Popular nearby secondary schools include Hitchin Girls' and Boys' schools, which both received 'outstanding' ratings in their msot recent Ofsted reports. Both schools are under three miles away from the village centre.
Kingshott School is immediately north of the village, and is a co-educational prep school for children between the ages of three and 13.
Pubs
For a rural village, St Ippolyts has a surprisingly large number of pubs within walking distance.
These include The Rusty Gun, which has hearty lunch and dinner menus and comes complete with its own farm shop, piglets and fire pit.
The Bird in Hand in Gosmore is also nearby, and offers food in addition to a 30-strong gin menu, a children's play area and Sky and BT sports.
Gosmore is also home to The Bull, a dog and child-friendly pub with an à la carte menu packed with foodie favourites.
Sports and leisure
Community facilities in St Ippolyts include the welcoming parish hall on Waterdell Lane, which brings many people together from around the village and beyond.
The hall plays host to a number of community groups, including Cubs, Beavers, Brownies and Rainbows - and the venue also provides a space for table tennis, bridge, yoga, dancing, dog training and more.
St Ippolyts also has active football and bowls clubs, both of which meet at Orchard Close.
