Secret Hertfordshire

Explore fascinating stories from Hertfordshire. Image: Richard Martin-Roberts/Getty Images

Three Counties Radio,16 episodes

Episodes

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Did St Albans invent the hot cross bun?
How the traditional Easter treat can be traced back to the 14th Century.
01 Apr 2026,4 mins
The Flamstead missing art mystery
A 17th century painting was missing from St Leonard’s Church for 30 years. Now it's back.
27 Feb 2026,3 mins
The house dismantled and rebuilt brick by brick
May Savidge didn’t want to lose her home to a new roundabout being built in Ware in 1969.
05 Jan 2026,3 mins
Accused of witchcraft and dragged to her death
The tragic case of Ruth Osborne from Tring.
28 Oct 2025,5 mins
Saving the history of Elstree Studios
Howard Berry records the achievement and heritage of Britain’s TV and film industry.
06 Aug 2025,4 mins
The man who accidentally ended up running a zoo
Peter Sampson didn’t plan to keep animals when he bought what became Hertfordshire Zoo.
24 Jun 2025,4 mins
The lavender fields of Hitchin
The tradition was revived by Alec Hunter and continued by son Tim.
12 Jun 2025,3 mins
Living in Stanley Kubrick’s old house
The family of Victoria Hosier-Beeson and daughter Molly have been there for 40 years.
06 Jun 2025,3 mins
History's only English pope was from Hertfordshire
Pope Adrian IV was born as Nicholas Breakspear in Abbots Langley around 1100 AD.
4 mins
Was Shakespeare hanging on a wall in Tring?
The portrait could be worth up to £200million.
21 Mar 2025,3 mins
Why there's a piece of Mars in Stevenage
The simulated environment at Airbus is used to test robots destined for space missions.
23 Jan 2025,4 mins
The mystery of the Royston Cave
Cave Manager Emma Shaw explains how a chance discovery revealed an underground spectacle.
17 Jan 2025,3 mins
Diaries reveal the life of a 19th century farmer
John White wrote about his life and work in Hertfordshire during the Victorian era.
06 Jan 2025,3 mins
The story of St Albans Cathedral
Inspired by Britain’s first martyr, how is the Cathedral still relevant to modern times?
10 Dec 2024,4 mins
The turbulent history of St Albans' cinema
Looking back at the various incarnations and rebirth of the venue that dates back to 1908.
29 Nov 2024,3 mins
Hunting the ghosts of Old Thundridge
The old church in Thundridge is said to be one of the most haunted places in Hertfordshire
05 Nov 2024,8 mins