Kings Langley travel guide

This article is about Kings Langley in Hertfordshire England. For other places, see Kings Langley (disambiguation). Kings Langley is a large commuter village 21 miles north west of central london. The west in the borough of Dacorum and the east in the Three Rivers district, in the county of Hertfordshire, England on the southern edge of the Chiltern Hills.
It originated as a linear village lying on the old Sparrows Hearne turnpike road (later the A41 trunk road) which traversed the Chilterns via the valley of the River Gade. It is 2 miles south of Hemel Hempstead and 2 miles north of Watford. Twentieth century housing developments have led to the village spreading out on either side of the main road. The A41 has now been diverted west of the village leaving the high street to local traffic for the first time in centuries.
It was formerly the site of a fourteenth century royal palace used by the Plantagenet kings of England, hence the name Kings. For a time during the Black Death it was the seat of government. A priory was founded next to the palace and remains of this can still be seen.
The church of All Saints was built during the 14th century on the site of an earlier church. The body of King Richard II was buried here for a time after his probable murder at Pontefract castle in 1400. It was later removed to Westminster Abbey. The body of Edmund of Langley, the fifth son of Edward III and the first Duke of York, still rests in the memorial chapel. (...) more....