Ware, Hertfordshire

Archaeology has shown that Ware has been occupied since at least the Mesolithic period (which ended in about 4000 BC). The Romans had a sizeable settlement here and foundations of several buildings, including a temple, and two cemeteries have been found. Ware was on Ermine Street, the Roman road from London to Lincoln. A well-preserved Roman skeleton of a teenage girl was found beside the road and nicknamed 'Ermintrude'. It has been said that Ware is one of the oldest continuously occupied sites in Europe. In the Domesday Book of 1086, the town was named Waras from the natural weirs in the River Lea. The historic rivalry with nearby Hertford can be traced to 1090 when the Lady of Ware…

Ware has 202 listed buildings including fourteen grade II* and three grade I, one of which is the remains of a 14th-century friary, now the offices of Ware Town Council and a conference, wedding and function venue called Ware Priory and Fletcher's Lea. Recent restoration work has shown that it dates from the 13th century. Opposite the priory is the large 14th-century St Mary's parish church. It is known for its elaborate font with large carved stone figures. The town is also famous for its many 18th-century riverside gazebos, several of which have been restored recently. The Lee Navigation is a canalised river incorporating the River Lea, which runs through the centre of the town; it is one…