Townapedia
St John the Baptist's church, Great Amwell 2020-08-23
St John the Baptist's church, Great Amwell 2020-08-23 · Colin, CC BY-SA 4.0
KingsmeadViaductFromWare
KingsmeadViaductFromWare · Jamsta at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Hertford Museum
Hertford Museum · Caitlin from Hertfordshire, UK, CC BY 2.0
Hertford Heath north 9
Hertford Heath north 9 · Dudley Miles, CC BY-SA 4.0
Amwell Quarry 16
Amwell Quarry 16 · Dudley Miles, CC BY-SA 4.0
Willowmead 2
Willowmead 2 · Dudley Miles, CC BY-SA 4.0

Great Amwell, United Kingdom

Great Amwell is a town of 1,098 people in England, United Kingdom.

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Population1,098 GeoNames
RegionEngland
Elevation187 ft 57 m
Time zoneEurope/London
Nearest airportLondon Stansted Airport (STN) 13 mi
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Why visit Great Amwell

Townapedia lists 13 museums and landmarks, 15 parks and trails, 50 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 4 attractions in and around town.

Highlights include Kingsmead Viaduct, Foxholes Farm Shop & Butchery, Scott's Grotto and Hertford Museum.

About Great Amwell

Great Amwell is a village and civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district of Hertfordshire, England. It lies 1+1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) south-east of Ware, its post town, and about 20 miles (32 km) north of London. At the 2021 census the parish had a population of 2,223.

From the Wikipedia article Great Amwell (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Photos of Great Amwell

Things to do4

Kingsmead Viaduct

Bridge · 2.0 mi

Bridge in United Kingdom

Open in Google Maps · Wikipedia

Foxholes Farm Shop & Butchery

Farm and orchard · 1.5 mi

London Road, Hertford

Open in Google Maps · +44 1992 552900

Ayckbourn Theatre

Cinema and theater · 1.0 mi

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Brokengall Hill

Scenic view · 1.4 mi

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Museums and landmarks13

Scott's Grotto

Monument and historic site · 1.3 mi

28/34 Scotts Road, Ware

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Hertford Museum

Museum · 2.7 mi

Local museum in Hertford, Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom

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The Clock House

Monument and historic site · 1.1 mi

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Boer War Memorial

Monument and historic site · 1.2 mi

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Gazebo at rear No.63

Monument and historic site · 1.5 mi

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Gazebo at rear No.67

Monument and historic site · 1.5 mi

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Gazebo in grounds of No.1 Riverside Mews

Monument and historic site · 1.5 mi

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Gazebo in grounds of No.59 High Street

Monument and historic site · 1.5 mi

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Gazebo in grounds of No.9 Water Row

Monument and historic site · 1.5 mi

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OH Dining Hall Memorial

Monument and historic site · 1.0 mi

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Red House War Memorial

Monument and historic site · 1.0 mi

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Terrace War Memorial

Monument and historic site · 1.1 mi

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1 more on the map.

Parks, trails and playgrounds15

Hertford Heath nature reserve

Park · 1.1 mi

UK nature reserve

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Amwell Quarry

Park · 0.7 mi

Nature reserve in United Kingdom

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Balls Wood

Park · 1.6 mi

Nature reserve in Hertfordshire, England

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Barclay Park

Park · 2.2 mi

Park in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, England

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Danemead

Park · 3.0 mi

Nature reserve in Hertfordshire, England

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Hartham Common

Park · 2.7 mi

Park in Hertford, Hertfordshire, England, UK

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Willowmead

Park · 3.4 mi

Nature reserve in north Hertford

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Hunsdon Mead

Park · 3.1 mi

Essex Wildlife Trust Nature reserve

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King's Meads

Park · 1.6 mi

Nature reserve in Ware, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom

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Rye Meads

Hiking and trails · 1.5 mi

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Chadwell Springs Golf Club

Golf course · 1.4 mi

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Isabel Christie Park

Park · 1.5 mi

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3 more on the map.

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Restaurants and cafes50

Khunnai Thai & Japanese

Restaurant · Asian, Japanese, Thai · 0.9 mi

73 High Street, Stanstead Abbotts

Tu 17:30-22:30, We-Su 11:30-15:00,17:30-22:30

Open in Google Maps · +44 1920870032

Sala Thai

Restaurant · Thai · 1.5 mi

34 High Street, Ware

PH 17:00-23:00; Tu-Th 12:00-15:00,18:00-22:30; Fr-Sa...

Open in Google Maps · +44 1920 463519

Simmons

Bakery · 1.5 mi

40 High Street, Ware

Mo-Sa 07:30-17:00; Su 08:00-16:00

Open in Google Maps · +44 1920 464013

Taste of Raj

Restaurant · 1.1 mi

11 High Street, Stanstead Abbotts

Mo-Th 17:30-23:00, Fr-Sa 17:30-23:30, Su 17:30-23:00

Open in Google Maps · +44 19208 71333

The Jolly Fisherman

Bar and pub · 0.8 mi

8 Station Road, Ware

Mo-Sa 11:00-23:00; Su 12:00-22:30

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The Oak

Bar and pub · 1.0 mi

36 High Street, Ware

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The Red Lion

Bar and pub · 1.1 mi

1 High Street, Ware

Th-Sa 12:00-23:00; Su 12:00-21:00; Mo 15:00-19:00; Tu 15:00-23:00;...

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The Spread Eagle

Bar and pub · 1.4 mi

37 Amwell End, Ware

Mo-Sa 12:00-23:00; Su 12:00-22:30

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Truly Scrumptious

Cafe · 1.5 mi

46 High Street, Ware

Mo-Sa 07:30-16:30; Su 08:30-16:00

Open in Google Maps · +44 1920 460948

Essense of India

Restaurant · Indian · 1.5 mi

1 East Street, Ware

Mo,We-Th,Su 17:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 17:00-22:30

Open in Google Maps · +44 1920 484779

The Snug Bar

Bar and pub · 1.5 mi

22-24 High Street, Ware

We 17:00-23:00; Th 17:00-00:00; Fr-Sa 12:00-01:00; Su 12:00-00:00

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Monday Muscle

Cafe · Coffee Shop · 0.9 mi

Hailey Lane, Hertford

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38 more on the map.

History

On a hill above the church there are some traces of an Iron Age hill fort, but more substantial remains of the earthworks were destroyed by landscaping of the Old Vicarage gardens in about 1840. To the west, on the road to Hertford, is a large tumulus at Barrowfield.

In the Domesday Book of 1086 Great Amwell and neighbouring Little Amwell were a single parish recorded as "Emmewell". By the 17th century, the name of the village was recorded as Amwell Magna, Much Amwell or Great Amwell. The name is probably derived from a spring to the northeast of the village called Emma's Well, which was used by Sir Hugh Myddelton as one of the sources of the New River in the early 17th century. It is believed to have been named after Queen Emma of Normandy, wife of King Æthelred and King Cnut the Great. A nearby white stone memorial is inscribed with verses from by the Quaker poet, John Scott of Amwell (1730-1783).

The Church of England parish church is a medieval building dedicated to St John the Baptist. The nave and chancel date from the 11th century with a Norman chancel arch. A bell tower was added in the 15th century and the building was restored in 1866. It is a Grade II* listed building. The stocks in the churchyard date from the 17th or 18th century and were moved there from behind the George IV pub in 1887.

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The East India College was founded at the hamlet of Hailey to the south of the parish in 1806, for the education of young men intended for the civil service of the East India Company in India. It was built in the neoclassical style to the design of William Wilkins. When the company was abolished in 1858, the buildings were briefly used as a barracks by the army, but were converted into a public school, Haileybury College, in 1862.

From the History section of Great Amwell on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Notable people from Great Amwell

Born in Great Amwell, according to Wikidata (CC0). Each name links to its Wikipedia article.

Where to stay1

Churches and places of worship13

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Shopping3

Gas and EV charging3

Schools, colleges and libraries17

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Healthcare5

Map of Great Amwell

124 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.

Getting there and nearby towns

London Stansted Airport (STN) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 13 miles away.

Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.

Towns near Great Amwell

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Page built November 10, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.