Benington, Hertfordshire

Benington Castle is a ruined castle in the village of Benington, near Stevenage in Hertfordshire, England at grid reference TL296236. It has been protected since 1936 as a scheduled monument.A motte-and-bailey castle was built in the late 11th or early 12th century, founded by Peter de Valognes. In 1136, Roger de Valognes built a stone castle with a keep. In 1177, King Henry II ordered that the tower be demolished (slighted). According to historian Sidney Painter it was one of at least 21 castles slighted on the orders of Henry II.In 1192 the castle was in use again. It was finally destroyed in 1212, after Robert Fitzwalter rebelled against King John. Only the foundations of the keep and some earthworks now remain from the original structure.

The Frome Clay is a geological formation in England. It preserves fossils dating back to the Bathonian stage of the Middle Jurassic period.

Benington High Wood is a 20.7-hectare (51-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Benington, Hertfordshire. The planning authority is East Hertfordshire District Council.The site is ancient woodland, described by Natural England as "one of the best remaining examples in the county of the pedunculate oak-hornbeam of the ash-maple variety". Shrub species include field maple and hazel, with a higher ground flora diversity in clearings and rides.There is access from a footpath between Walkern Road and Lordship Farm.

The parish church of St Mary the Virgin in Walkern, Hertfordshire, dates from before the Norman Conquest and has been altered in the succeeding centuries. The nave retains at least one Anglo-Saxon wall.

Walkern is a village and civil parish in East Hertfordshire, England. It is about two miles (3 km) from Stevenage. The village has several shops, including a convenience store, a hair and beauty salon, a craft shop, a shop that features homestyle products, a tea shop, a drum shop, a petrol station and Walkern Gallery near the White Lion public house. Other pubs include the Yew Tree. The village also has a primary school, doctors' surgery, recreation ground and a range of seasonal clubs; according to the time of year there is cricket, football and many other clubs based in the Walkern Sports and Community Centre towards the end of the village near the War Memorial and opposite a former watermill.

Ardeley is a small village and civil parish in East Hertfordshire, England. The parish includes the hamlet of Cromer, as well as Wood End and Moor Green.Ardeley is located 5 miles (8 km) east of Stevenage.

Aston End is a hamlet in Hertfordshire, England. It is in the civil parish of Aston. It features a pub and a butchers, as well as a few houses.

Watton-at-Stone is a village and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England, and is midway between the towns of Stevenage and Hertford in the valley of the River Beane.

Aston Bury is a manor house near Aston, Hertfordshire, England. It is Grade I listed building.It was built in the mid 17th century, possibly by the Boteler family, restored in 1883 for Captain William Edward Freeman O'Brien and restored again in 1908-09 for Vernon A. Malcolmson. The house is now a luxury apartment block. The building consists of a long rectangular block in two storeys with cellars and attics and two large gabled stair wings at the rear. The ground floor walls are made of flint, banded with brick and with brick dressings. The first floor has timber framing, infilled and faced with brick. The roof is steep and made of red tiles.

Aston is a village and civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district of Hertfordshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 844, increasing to 871 at the 2011 Census. Located on a ridge between Stevenage and the Beane Valley, Aston is a 10 minutes drive from the A1(M). A mile north of Aston lies Aston End, a hamlet which has strong social and geophysical ties with the village. Hooks Cross, another hamlet in the parish, straddles the A602, Stevenage to Hertford road. Aston has many clubs, societies and interest groups, hosting a successful annual school fete. During the reign of Edward the Confessor (1024–66), the manor of "Estone" was held by three vassals of Stigend, Archbishop of Canterbury. Their names are not known but some land is recorded as that of Wulf the Dane.

Watton-at-Stone railway station serves the village of Watton-at-Stone in Hertfordshire, England. It is 23 miles 72 chains (23.90 miles, 38.46 km) down the line from London King's Cross on the Hertford Loop Line between Hertford North and Stevenage and is served by trains operated by Great Northern.

Astonbury Wood is a nature reserve of Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust. It is an ancient woodland, near Stevenage in Hertfordshire, England.