Adjoining
Ware Park is Bengoo, or Belinghoo as it is called in the
Domesday Book. By the late eighteenth century it was known
as Benjeo. There were several ancient manors which belonged
to this parish, and the manor of Ridgemont, or Bengoo,
was sold to the prior of Bermondsey sometime after William
the conqueror's survey.
Bengoo
church, dedicated to St Leonard, stands on a small hill
which commands a fine view of Hertford. Its chancel forms
a semicircle, possibly because the church was once very
much frequented by knights. By the early nineteenth century
its interior was described as being 'very mean' and its
lovely situation was all that rendered it worthy of attention.
