Sarratt is both a village and a civil parish in Three Rivers District, Hertfordshire, England. It is situated 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Rickmansworth on high ground near the county boundary with Buckinghamshire. The chalk stream, the River Chess, rising just north of Chesham in the Chiltern Hills, passes through Sarratt Bottom in the valley to the west of the village to join the River Colne in Rickmansworth. The conditions offered by the river are perfect for the cultivation of watercress. Sarratt has the only commercially operating watercress farm in Hertfordshire.[3] The valley to the east of Sarratt is dry.
| Sarratt | |
|---|---|
 Church of the Holy Cross, Sarratt | |
  Sarratt Location within Hertfordshire | |
| Population | 924 (2001 census)[1] 1,849 (2011 Census)[2] |
| OS grid reference | TQ045994 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Rickmansworth |
| Postcode district | WD3 |
| Dialling code | 01923 |
| Police | Hertfordshire |
| Fire | Hertfordshire |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| UK Parliament | |
Church and chapel
editThe parish church of Sarratt is the Church of the Holy Cross. Founded c. 1190, construction is flint-and-brick built with, reputedly, reused Roman tiles.[4][5]
From the 17th century a large linear village developed nearly 1 mile (1.6 km) away. Nowadays, this area is referred to as Sarratt Green and the area around the church is known as Church End. The village also included a Baptist Chapel and an independent Providence Mission Hall; both closed and converted into private residences.
Motorway
editWhen the M25 London orbital motorway – widened in 2011 to eight lanes (four each way) – . Where it passes Sarratt, it is less than 1 mile (1.6 km) distant at its nearest point, the bridge carrying Sarratt Road.
Junction 18 (M25) is on the Chorleywood Road (the A404) only 2 miles (3.2 km) by road from the village.
Schools
editSarratt's Church of England school, situated near the junction of Church Lane and The Green, is the village's primary school with 160 – 170 pupils. In December 2015 Ofsted inspected the school and judged it to be good across the board,[6] having been rated inadequate since December 2014.[7]
Sarratt Ducklings, an independent pre-school for children aged from 2 to 4, located in the grounds of Sarratt Primary School, is a registered charity. It was judged outstanding by Ofsted in 2015.[8][9]
Fiction and filming
editIn some of the early novels of John le Carré, Sarratt is the location of a fictional agent-training school and interrogation centre for the British foreign intelligence service, which is nicknamed 'the Nursery'.[10] Le Carré and Mikhail Lyubimov, a former KGB colonel, contributed to a book published by Village Books in 1999 as a fund-raiser for village charities titled, Sarratt and the Draper of Watford.[11]
Sarratt has been used as a location in television and film productions, including:[12]
- Murder Most Foul (1964 film) with Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple
- Tightrope (ATV, 1971) children's espionage series written by Victor Pemberton
- Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994 film)
- The Demon Headmaster (BBC TV) second series of children's drama series
- Just William (BBC TV) children's drama series
- The Woman In Black (1989 film)
- Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011 film)
- Pudsey the Dog: The Movie (2014 film)
- All the Money in the World (2017 film)
Notable people
edit- Sydney Valentine, actor, lived at Pear Tree Cottage, Sarratt.[13]
Freedom of the Parish
editPeople and military units who have received the Freedom of the Parish of Sarratt.
References
edit- ^ "All people in Settlements in Hertfordshire" (PDF). 2001 Census, Key Statistics for HCC Settlements. Office for National Statistics. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 March 2009. Retrieved 19 March 2009.
- ^ "Civil Parish 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
- ^ "Village farmer only one still growing the salad leaf with health benefits". www.hemeltoday.co.uk. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
- ^ "Victoria County History". British History Online. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
- ^ "The Foundation of Holy Cross". www.holycrosssarratt.co.uk. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
- ^ "Find an inspection report and registered childcare". 31 March 2019.
- ^ "Headteacher of Sarratt Church of England School says the future is 'very exciting' after the school was taken out of special measures".
- ^ "Find an inspection report and registered childcare". 19 November 2019.
- ^ "Pre-school rated as 'outstanding' by education watchdog".
- ^ Clark, Jessica. "Starry-eyed Sarratt". Hertfordshire Life. Archived from the original on 20 November 2008. Retrieved 23 May 2009.[failed verification]
- ^ "Sarratt And The Draper Of Watford and Other Unlikely Stories About Sarratt". Nigel Williams Rare Books. Retrieved 23 May 2009.[dead link]
- ^ "Titles with location 'Sarratt, Hertfordshire'". The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Retrieved 14 April 2012.
- ^ Sydney Paxton, "An Appreciation", quoted in Edward Rollinson, Sydney Valentine 1865-1919: An Actor's Actor (Sarratt, 1996), ISBN 9780952389705, at pp. 1-5
- ^ "Freedom of the Parish for Carol". Sarratt Village. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ "RECOGNITION: Carol awarded Freedom of the Parish by Sarratt council". My Local News. 19 December 2019. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
External links
edit
- 'Parishes: Sarratt', A History of the County of Hertford Date accessed: 29 December 2006.
- Holy Cross Church Website