Bengeo is now a hill top suburb of Hertford, but was once a village in its own right. The town still retains a village atmosphere and is surrounded by beautiful countryside.

At the time of the Domesday Survey the village was known as Belingehou. The name derives from that of a local river and the Old English words ingas and hoh thus ‘Hill-spur of the River Beane dwellers'. In the 2001 Census the population of the Bengeo Rural parish was 601.

The church, dedicated to St Leonard. is unusual as it has a spire made of wood. It claims to be the oldest building in Hertford and stands atop a hill looking down onto the river Lea and Hertford town centre.

Cross Road

An owner of a house which stands on the corner of Cross Road in Bengeo remembers the smell of perfume that used to drift around the building. No one in the house wore such a perfume or even owned anything like it. The smell of wood smoke has also been noticed in the house when there were no lit fires. In addition the figure of a woman has been seen on the premises.

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