Tring Area Guide

Tring is a small and perfectly formed market town that packs a big enough punch to be hailed by The Guardian as 'a splendid liveable town'. It claims a prestigious history, from the Rothschild banking family, to Sir Christopher Wren, to its very own branch of the Natural History Museum, and even has a surprising connection to the first American President. Think excellent schooling, beautiful countryside and a strong community spirit, with a pretty High Street where the butchers and ironmongers sit alongside an amalgam of independents and chains, including plenty of restaurants and coffee shops. If you've not yet been to Tring, you're missing out on somewhere very special.

About Tring

On the edge of the Chiltern Hills in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, it is easy to see why Tring is so often to be found in the ‘top towns’ features in newspapers.

The town centre has its own branch of the Natural History Museum, while the Grand Union Canal, Pendley Court Theatre and College Lake Nature Reserve all offer many more days and evenings out for the family. Alternatively, for those who prefer a little - or lot of - rest and relaxation, Champneys Health Resort is only minutes away.

Tring has a wide selection of shops including many established local retailers, such as Metcalfes the ironmongers and Watertons the butchers, alongside M&S Food Hall and Tesco. For a town of this size, the pretty High Street boasts a remarkable number of restaurants, bars and coffee shops in a delightful collection of buildings that chronicle the town’s architectural history. Tall, red brick Victorian gables nudge up against older Georgian cottages and historic half-timbered houses, all offering plenty of choice when it comes to eating out.

The Court Theatre, on the eastern edge of Tring, holds events most weeks of the year and provides a wide-ranging variety of entertainment. Next door, Pendley Manor Hotel, hosts an annual, open-air Shakespeare Festival every summer - a tradition that has taken place here since 1949.

As with everywhere in this neck of the woods, beautiful countryside abounds and provides many enchanting experiences for lovers of the outdoors. Alongside a stroll along the Grand Union Canal, Tring Reservoirs provide a unique and beautiful waterside setting for walking the dog, or simply oneself. For horse riding, it really doesn't get much better than on the National Trust’s 5,000 acre Ashridge Estate. Here you will also find Ashridge Golf Club, one of number of excellent courses nearby that also include Berkhamsted and The Grove.

Like nearby Berkhamsted, Tring lures families seeking high quality education for their children, with Tring School, and Tring Park School for the Performing Arts, on many parents’ wish lists.

The larger towns of Aylesbury, Hemel Hempstead and Watford are short hops by train or car and are home to major department stores, theatres and cinemas. For shoppers and culture vultures who want to go bigger still, Milton Keynes, Westfield at Shepherds Bush and indeed all of Central London are easily accessible, which brings us neatly and finally to commuting.

Tring is an understandably popular and workable choice for anyone working in London with regular direct trains to Euston (about 40 mins). The A41 dual carriageway can be picked up on the edge of town and is just short of 12 miles from Junction 20 of the M25, with the M1 about the same distance via Hemel Hempstead. Driving to Heathrow or Luton Airport is therefore very straightforward, with both less than an hour away.

One thing not to miss when in Tring is a trip to the Nash Partnership office, located right in the heart of the town at 35 High Street. The views of local property from the shop are unrivalled, with extensive window displays that front both the High Street, and also Dolphin Square shopping centre: take care to notice the friendly, award-winning team beavering away inside. Despite their industriousness, their will always make you feel at home.

The Tring office of Nash Partnership handles properties for sale and to let not only in Tring, but also Wigginton, Ivinghoe, Pitstone, Cheddington, Marsworth, Wilstone, Long Marston, Wingrave, Aston Clinton, Weston Turville, Cow Roast, Aldbury, Cholesbury and Hawridge. We can happily help you narrow down the most suitable locations to focus on for your requirements.

History

Tring received its market charter from Edward II in 1315.

The Manor of Tring was granted in 1679 to Henry Guy, Groom to the Bedchamber and Clerk of the Treasury to Charles II, and an impressive mansion - today, the home of Tring Park School for the Performing Arts - was soon commissioned to a design of Sir Christopher Wren. Charles II frequently visited the finished building.

The house was purchased in 1705 by Sir William Gore, Lord Mayor of London and one of the founding directors of the Bank of England, and remained in his family for two further generations. In 1872, Lionel de Rothschild acquired the property as a wedding present for his son, Sir Nathaniel (later Lord) de Rothschild.

Lord Rothschild’s family grew up and lived at Tring Park until 1935. In 1945 it was taken over by the Arts Educational School, today Tring Park School for the Performing Arts, which boasts an impressive roll of former pupils, many of whom have gone on to become stars of stage and screen.

Tring underwent intense change at the turn of the nineteenth century with the coming of the Grand Union Canal, when hundreds of men took four years to dig the long, deep cutting required to cross the Tring gap. Four reservoirs were built to maintain the water level and today, Tring Reservoirs are classed as national nature reserves and a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Francis Egerton, Duke of Bridgewater and father of the inland waterway system, lived in nearby Ashridge and a national monument to the canal system, built in his memory, stands in the middle of the National Trust’s Ashridge Estate.

However, it was perhaps the Rothschild influence on Tring that was the most profound. The family set about transforming the town centre’s architecture in the late Victorian period, employing the architect William Huckvale. His particular style of timber framing, steep pitched roofs and ornate chimneys gave Tring a distinctly grander, richer flavour.

Huckvale was also commissioned to build a museum on Akeman Street, the original Roman road from London to Chester, to house the immense zoological collection of Lord Rothschild’s eccentric elder son, Walter, who trained zebras to draw his carriage! The museum was gifted to the nation after Walter’s death in 1937, and became part of the Natural History Museum.

Tring is the birthplace of the grandfather of George Washington, first President of the United States of America. John Washington was born in Tring in 1631 and sailed to the Colony of Virginia in 1657 as an investor in the merchant ship, which foundered in the Potomac River. If he had not elected to stay in the colony, who knows how history may have altered?

We Recommend

  • Visit Tring Museum and find out how one man built a world-leading private collection
  • Take a walk through Tring Park, and enjoy over 200 acres of broadleaf woodland
  • Visit Nell Gwynn’s monument
  • Take a weekend wander up the Grand Union Canal and feed the ducks
  • Enjoy coffee and a cake at Culture Bakery in the High Street
  • Capture a photo of the sunset at nearby Pitstone windmill
  • Indulge in a weekend of pampering at Champneys Health Spa

Types of Property

Tring has a small, central core of Victorian properties: a Conservation Area known locally as the Tring Triangle (formed and bounded by Akeman Street, Park Road, and the High Street/Western Road). Here you will find Tring’s largest concentration of older two-up-two-down cottages and some larger three and four bedroom townhouses. There is a scattering of cottages elsewhere in the town too.

Unsurprisingly, Tring has some fine examples of Rothschild architecture, particularly in Park Street, along with a pretty terrace of houses called New Villas at Tring Station. Perhaps the most picturesque of them all are the almshouses known as Louisa Cottages on Park Road, however these are never sold and are owned by the Louisa Cottages Charity.

Tring saw substantial development in the 1960s, 70s and 80s and therefore has a number of properties from that time. The Grove area is predominantly semi-detached and detached family homes, and is also home to - and within walking distance of - Tring School.

About a mile away from the town centre, the area around Tring Station has period cottages along the approach to the station as well as apartments of various ages. Accompanying them is a number of substantial - mainly 20th century - detached houses with large gardens.

Tring Area Guide

Tring is a small and perfectly formed market town that packs a big enough punch to be hailed by The Guardian as 'a splendid liveable town'. It claims a prestigious history, from the Rothschild banking family, to Sir Christopher Wren, to its very own branch of the Natural History Museum, and even has a surprising connection to the first American President. Think excellent schooling, beautiful countryside and a strong community spirit, with a pretty High Street where the butchers and ironmongers sit alongside an amalgam of independents and chains, including plenty of restaurants and coffee shops. If you've not yet been to Tring, you're missing out on somewhere very special.

About Tring

On the edge of the Chiltern Hills in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, it is easy to see why Tring is so often to be found in the ‘top towns’ features in newspapers.

The town centre has its own branch of the Natural History Museum, while the Grand Union Canal, Pendley Court Theatre and College Lake Nature Reserve all offer many more days and evenings out for the family. Alternatively, for those who prefer a little - or lot of - rest and relaxation, Champneys Health Resort is only minutes away.

Tring has a wide selection of shops including many established local retailers, such as Metcalfes the ironmongers and Watertons the butchers, alongside M&S Food Hall and Tesco. For a town of this size, the pretty High Street boasts a remarkable number of restaurants, bars and coffee shops in a delightful collection of buildings that chronicle the town’s architectural history. Tall, red brick Victorian gables nudge up against older Georgian cottages and historic half-timbered houses, all offering plenty of choice when it comes to eating out.

The Court Theatre, on the eastern edge of Tring, holds events most weeks of the year and provides a wide-ranging variety of entertainment. Next door, Pendley Manor Hotel, hosts an annual, open-air Shakespeare Festival every summer - a tradition that has taken place here since 1949.

As with everywhere in this neck of the woods, beautiful countryside abounds and provides many enchanting experiences for lovers of the outdoors. Alongside a stroll along the Grand Union Canal, Tring Reservoirs provide a unique and beautiful waterside setting for walking the dog, or simply oneself. For horse riding, it really doesn't get much better than on the National Trust’s 5,000 acre Ashridge Estate. Here you will also find Ashridge Golf Club, one of number of excellent courses nearby that also include Berkhamsted and The Grove.

Like nearby Berkhamsted, Tring lures families seeking high quality education for their children, with Tring School, and Tring Park School for the Performing Arts, on many parents’ wish lists.

The larger towns of Aylesbury, Hemel Hempstead and Watford are short hops by train or car and are home to major department stores, theatres and cinemas. For shoppers and culture vultures who want to go bigger still, Milton Keynes, Westfield at Shepherds Bush and indeed all of Central London are easily accessible, which brings us neatly and finally to commuting.

Tring is an understandably popular and workable choice for anyone working in London with regular direct trains to Euston (about 40 mins). The A41 dual carriageway can be picked up on the edge of town and is just short of 12 miles from Junction 20 of the M25, with the M1 about the same distance via Hemel Hempstead. Driving to Heathrow or Luton Airport is therefore very straightforward, with both less than an hour away.

One thing not to miss when in Tring is a trip to the Nash Partnership office, located right in the heart of the town at 35 High Street. The views of local property from the shop are unrivalled, with extensive window displays that front both the High Street, and also Dolphin Square shopping centre: take care to notice the friendly, award-winning team beavering away inside. Despite their industriousness, their will always make you feel at home.

The Tring office of Nash Partnership handles properties for sale and to let not only in Tring, but also Wigginton, Ivinghoe, Pitstone, Cheddington, Marsworth, Wilstone, Long Marston, Wingrave, Aston Clinton, Weston Turville, Cow Roast, Aldbury, Cholesbury and Hawridge. We can happily help you narrow down the most suitable locations to focus on for your requirements.

History

Tring received its market charter from Edward II in 1315.

The Manor of Tring was granted in 1679 to Henry Guy, Groom to the Bedchamber and Clerk of the Treasury to Charles II, and an impressive mansion - today, the home of Tring Park School for the Performing Arts - was soon commissioned to a design of Sir Christopher Wren. Charles II frequently visited the finished building.

The house was purchased in 1705 by Sir William Gore, Lord Mayor of London and one of the founding directors of the Bank of England, and remained in his family for two further generations. In 1872, Lionel de Rothschild acquired the property as a wedding present for his son, Sir Nathaniel (later Lord) de Rothschild.

Lord Rothschild’s family grew up and lived at Tring Park until 1935. In 1945 it was taken over by the Arts Educational School, today Tring Park School for the Performing Arts, which boasts an impressive roll of former pupils, many of whom have gone on to become stars of stage and screen.

Tring underwent intense change at the turn of the nineteenth century with the coming of the Grand Union Canal, when hundreds of men took four years to dig the long, deep cutting required to cross the Tring gap. Four reservoirs were built to maintain the water level and today, Tring Reservoirs are classed as national nature reserves and a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Francis Egerton, Duke of Bridgewater and father of the inland waterway system, lived in nearby Ashridge and a national monument to the canal system, built in his memory, stands in the middle of the National Trust’s Ashridge Estate.

However, it was perhaps the Rothschild influence on Tring that was the most profound. The family set about transforming the town centre’s architecture in the late Victorian period, employing the architect William Huckvale. His particular style of timber framing, steep pitched roofs and ornate chimneys gave Tring a distinctly grander, richer flavour.

Huckvale was also commissioned to build a museum on Akeman Street, the original Roman road from London to Chester, to house the immense zoological collection of Lord Rothschild’s eccentric elder son, Walter, who trained zebras to draw his carriage! The museum was gifted to the nation after Walter’s death in 1937, and became part of the Natural History Museum.

Tring is the birthplace of the grandfather of George Washington, first President of the United States of America. John Washington was born in Tring in 1631 and sailed to the Colony of Virginia in 1657 as an investor in the merchant ship, which foundered in the Potomac River. If he had not elected to stay in the colony, who knows how history may have altered?

We Recommend

  • Visit Tring Museum and find out how one man built a world-leading private collection
  • Take a walk through Tring Park, and enjoy over 200 acres of broadleaf woodland
  • Visit Nell Gwynn’s monument
  • Take a weekend wander up the Grand Union Canal and feed the ducks
  • Enjoy coffee and a cake at Culture Bakery in the High Street
  • Capture a photo of the sunset at nearby Pitstone windmill
  • Indulge in a weekend of pampering at Champneys Health Spa

Types of Property

Tring has a small, central core of Victorian properties: a Conservation Area known locally as the Tring Triangle (formed and bounded by Akeman Street, Park Road, and the High Street/Western Road). Here you will find Tring’s largest concentration of older two-up-two-down cottages and some larger three and four bedroom townhouses. There is a scattering of cottages elsewhere in the town too.

Unsurprisingly, Tring has some fine examples of Rothschild architecture, particularly in Park Street, along with a pretty terrace of houses called New Villas at Tring Station. Perhaps the most picturesque of them all are the almshouses known as Louisa Cottages on Park Road, however these are never sold and are owned by the Louisa Cottages Charity.

Tring saw substantial development in the 1960s, 70s and 80s and therefore has a number of properties from that time. The Grove area is predominantly semi-detached and detached family homes, and is also home to - and within walking distance of - Tring School.

About a mile away from the town centre, the area around Tring Station has period cottages along the approach to the station as well as apartments of various ages. Accompanying them is a number of substantial - mainly 20th century - detached houses with large gardens.