Policing Through The Years In Kings Langley

At the top of Langley Hill, next to the Old Palace pub is an old cottage. At the rear of the cottage was a shack which was used as a holding cell, which had wooden bars at the window.

In 1882, P.C Weedon was the local officer, transferred from Berkhamsted. P.C Waller policed the village in the early 1890s. P.C Compton was the last policeman to live at Langley Hill and he was succeeded by P.C. Aldridge in 1898. During the time of P.C. Petit, in 1904 the Police Station was housed in the cottage of what used to be Mansbridge Bakers.

By 1909 P.C Sidney Gray had moved to the cottage next to what used to be the “Wishing Well” shop and café but is now a private house. He was followed by Alfred H King who was called up to serve in WWI. Edward S. Eames took over and he handed over to P.C Herbert Ward 1922-1930. Albert Ward had been awarded the Military Medal for Gallantry during his four year’s service in France. Not long after his appointment he moved into a purpose built wooden police bungalow along with his family. It was at the far end of The Rose and Crown car park next to the Great Park Estate, which began construction in 1958.

The main occupant of the bungalow was P.C E.G. “Stoney” Stone who was the village policeman from 1930 until his retirement in 1958. The bungalow was demolished soon after and replaced with police houses. No 1 was the sergeant’s and nos. 3 and 5 were semi-detached with two constables living either side of a central office space.