In my early twenties, I was lucky enough to take on a summer job at Camp Skylemar in the US state of Maine. It was an amazing experience and one I will forever cherish. It was during that summer that I first became aware of US state capitals as the kids often challenged one another to name the corresponding capital for each state. The idea of capitals beyond Washington DC was not one I had given much thought towards prior to that summer. However, it got me thinking about my own country of residence. Do we have the equivalent of state capitals here in England?

The answer is obvious in hindsight. Of course we do. Each county has its own county town, a location of administrative or judicial function within that county, and in a lot of cases the county is named after the county town, For example Hertford is the county town of Hertfordshire. I have included the full list of county towns alongside this article for reference.

The obvious next step is to then attempt to visit each of these county towns. I would be lying if I said I had not visited a number of these county towns before in some form or another. However, it would be good to explore them in a little more depth as part of The Edison Project.

Given I live in Hertfordshire, it should come as no surprise that my first one off the list was Hertford, a town recently described by The Guardian as ‘a gentle place of small pleasures’. For those interested in history, Hertford became the temporary home of The Parliament of England during a plague outbreak in London in 1563, hence the main square in Hertford being named Parliament Square.

I have visited Hertford a lot over the years, but on this particular occasion my family were attending ‘Rock at the Castle’, a free music festival within the spectacular grounds of Hertford Castle. This is a great event with an array of musical talent on display alongside street food stands and plenty of activities for children. The ‘Rock at the Castle’ festival normally takes place in August, but note, this year’s event has unfortunately been cancelled due to Covid-19.
Another great family event in Hertford is the annual duck race that usually takes place around the Easter Bank Holiday at The Old Barge pub. Those willing to take part are encouraged to buy a rubber duck in advance of the event, decorate it, and then watch it race down the river Lea.

Something that I am yet to experience that I would like to do at some point, is to catch the waterbus service that I believe operates between Hertford and Ware also along the river Lea.
Hertford is an easy town for me to write about given it is a 10 minute drive away. Some of the other county towns will no doubt be a little more trickier, but I will look to document some of the interesting facts and events I come across in my visits. Alternatively, get in contact if there is something in your county town that you believe is a must see.

PS. I have recently been clearing up the storage of my digital photos, and frustratingly, I have misplaced the photos associated with this post. Once located I will get these added.