In Anglo-Saxon times, St Mary’s Parish Church is built on Akeman Street, the old Roman road from London to Chester. After the Normans conquer England, the parish of Berchamstede is listed in the Domesday Book. In 1222, a new parish church dedicated to St Peter is established a mile further south, closer to Berkhamsted Castle. Berkhamsted St Mary comes to be known as “the North Church” and today this is the separate parish of Northchurch. In the 21st century, St Mary’s is still an active church, and one of the oldest churches in Hertfordshire.
