23 Facts About Bishop's Stortford

Bishop's Stortford is a historic market town in Hertfordshire, England, just west of the M11 motorway on the county boundary with Essex, 27 miles north-east of central London, and 35 miles by rail from Liverpool Street station.

Bishop's Stortford was on the line of the Roman Road, Stane Street, which ran from St Albans to Colchester via Braughing.

At the start of the early modern period in the mid 15th century, Bishop's Stortford was a primarily agricultural community, but had acquired a tanning industry.

Bishop's Stortford continued to grow as a comutter town from the second half of the 20th century onwards, spurred by the construction of the M11 motorway, Stansted Airport, as well as rail links to London and Cambridge.

Seven suburbs of Thorley, Thorley Park, Havers, Snowley, Bishop's Stortford Park, St Michael's Mead and Hockerill, the last is a separate ecclesiastical parish east of the River Stort, centred around the old coaching inns, All Saints in Stansted Road and the railway station.

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Bishop's Stortford's population exceeded the county town of Hertford in the 1961 census, even though Bishop's Stortford's average population growth slowed to 1.

Proportion of Bishop's Stortford residents reporting having been born in the United Kingdom was 87.

Bishop's Stortford recorded a significantly higher proportion of European Union-born residents than either East Hertfordshire or England.

Bishop's Stortford was succeeded by Julie Marson in the 2019 general election.

In December 2011 the Conservative council of Bishop's Stortford voted 13 to 3 in favour of cancelling its twinned status with Friedberg in der Wetterau in Germany and Villiers-sur-Marne in France.

Bishop's Stortford has three tiers of local government at parish, district, and county level: Bishop's Stortford Town Council, East Hertfordshire District Council, and Hertfordshire County Council.

The parish of Bishop's Stortford was declared to be a local government district with effect from 25 December 1866, and the local board held its first meeting at the corn exchange on 23 February 1867.

Bishop's Stortford is well positioned in relation to the UK's most dynamic economies.

Bishop's Stortford is considered the Principal Town Centre in East Hertfordshire by East Hertfordshire District Council's District Plan, serving as a destination for visitors from beyond the town.

Bishop's Stortford has a local newspaper, the Bishop's Stortford Independent based at 12 North Street, which has been the home of publishing in the town since 1861.

Bishop's Stortford owes its continued growth to developments in transport.

Bishop's Stortford is one of the 42 locations bidding for the headquarters of Great British Railways.

Bishop's Stortford is served by cycle routes on regional networks and the National Cycle Network.

The section between Sawbridgeworth and Bishop's Stortford is in development, but when completed, the route will provide a direct, non-stop connection from Bishop's Stortford to the Lea Valley and King's Lynn .

Bishop's Stortford Circular Ride is a recreational cycle route on country lanes to the north of the town.

All of the state primary schools in Bishop's Stortford have nurseries attached, while all of the state secondaries have sixth forms.

Bishop's Stortford Cricket Club play their home matches at Cricket Field Lane, which is a home venue for Hertfordshire County Cricket Club.

Bishop's Stortford has grown around the River Stort valley, with the town centre lying about 60 metres above sea level, rising to over 100 metres above sea level on the eastern and western margins of the town.