Most commonly known as ‘Stanstead Abbotts’ the Village itself is actually made up of two Parishes that of Stanstead Abbotts and Stanstead St Margarets, each with their own Parish Council and the latter being the name of the main line station which takes many commuters into Liverpool Street. The border between the two villages being that of the River Lea.
For what is essentially a large village there are a good number of shops and businesses from boutique Hairdressers to a Co-Op convenience store which also has a separate Post Office. This means that village residents can easily access all of their day to day requirements without the need to travel outside the village.
The traditional local industry however is that of the malting’s with Barley produced locally which could be turned into turned into the finest malt. The River Lea historically provided an efficient means of transporting large quantities of malt to the major breweries of London. The malting industry has declined over the years but Stanstead Abbotts still boasts a working Maltsters with French & Jupps, a long established local family business.
The High Street has a significant number of historical buildings at the end of which is “The Clock House”, although it is now a listed residential property it was once a Grammar school, founded in 1635. Due to the Maltings history of the Village there are still well established Inns one of which, The Red Lion, dates back to 1538, and which started life as a monastery. There are two churches in the parish of St Andrews, being the main parish church of Saint Andrews and Saint James, and one church in the parish of St Margarets, being Saint Marys. Stanstead Abbotts is also in close proximity to the village of Hunsdon which was once the home of King Henry VIII who resided at Hunsdon House.
There are many great places to buy and rent in and around Stanstead Abbotts with an array of different types of property from the River Meads apartments at “The Maltings” with their individual styles to the more conventional flats of Lee Close, Sanville Gardens and “The Granary”. If you’re looking for a larger home take a look at the lovely houses on Lawrence Avenue or if you’re lucky enough to get the opportunity the “Riverside” Cottages offer something really special. All of which are within easy reach of the High Street and St Margarets station.
